News Release
3rdDecember 2015
1916 centenaries: Presbyterian Church to hold major conference
Two seminal events in Ireland’s history, the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme, will be the focus of a major conference - ‘The Future of Our Past: Remembering and Reassessing 1916’ - to be held in Belfast by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) in the New Year.
The Republic of Ireland’s Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD,will join former Presbyterian Moderator Dr. Trevor Morrow for the 21st January event, who,along with leadingacademics and commentators,willseek to explore the events of 100 years ago and discuss how they came to exert such a central place in how Ireland views its past and present.
The conference will also look at wider questions around current relationships in Ireland that have been shaped by the events of 1916 and address ways in which conversations about the future can be reformed.
Organised jointly by the PCI’s Union Theological College and Council for Church in Society, the Conference is the fifth in the Church in the Public Square series. Along with other events that are taking place to mark both centenaries, College Principal, Very Rev. Professor Stafford Carson, hopes that it will make a positive contribution to the ongoing public debate around both historical events.
“The Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme have been assimilated into the mythology of Irish history and as a result, they have helped us to create conflicting accounts of the past. Both were important historical events in their own right, their significance however, also lies in how both came to be understood as iconic moments in the emergence of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
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“To aid our discussion and reflections, I am delighted that we have been able to attract such a gifted team of high calibre speakers and responders who will bring their expertise and insight to the Conference. By reflecting on these events, the conference will allow us to position the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme in their historical context and, very importantly, help us to consider their implications for today.
“Indeed, we hope that this conference will help to open up the conversation about how we might work together for the common good in the context of different understandings of the past. Our conference will undoubtedly be an informative and stimulating day, and of special interest to many who are working in local communities still influenced by the memory of past events.
Looking forward to the event, Heather Humphreys TD, Minister of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said, “Debate and analysis is a very important element of our commemorative programme for 2016, as we reflect on the events of 100 years ago and consider how far this country has come over the last century.
“I am delighted to be joining this major conference, which will no doubt spark interesting and lively discussions on the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. A century on, we can look back on both of these events from a modern context, and better explore their impacts on the Ireland of today. By exploring our shared history we can better understand and respect the differing traditions on this island,” she said.
Dr. Fearghal McGarry, reader in Modern Irish History and Professor Keith Jeffery, professor of British History at Queen’s University will set the historical context of each event and their impact on Irish society at the time.
The conference will hear from commentators Dr. Ruth Dudley Edwards and Eamonn Mallieas they respond to the talks, looking at the long-term political and cultural legacy of both events. Dr. Morrow, who is also a former Presbyterian minister in Lucan, County Dublin, will address the issue of moving forward. Minister Humphreys, who is responsible for co-ordinating the official Easter Rising commemorations and is herself a Presbyterian from County Monaghan, will respond to Dr. Morrow’s talk ‘Moving Forward’.
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‘The Future of Our Past: Remembering and Reassessing 1916’ will take place on Thursday 21st January 2016 (10am-3.30pm) at Assembly Buildings, 2-4 Fisherwick Place, Belfast. To book online visit
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Further information contact Mark Smith, Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s press officer or Elaine Huddleston 0289041 7292 /7297+44 (0) 7802 264 354 / Email: W:
Notes to Editors
- Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has over 230,000 members belonging to 545 congregations across 19 Presbyteries throughout Ireland. The Presbytery of Monaghan and the Presbytery of Dublin and Munster are located in the Republic of Ireland while the Presbytery of Derry and Donegal is cross border with congregations located in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The Presbyterian form of Christian faith is best described as 'Reformed' with its strong emphasis on the Sovereignty of God, the Kingship of Christ and the authority of the Bible. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland.
Irish Presbyterianism had its origins in Scottish migrations to Ulster in the early 17th Century. Ballycarry Presbyterian Church in County Antrim is the oldest congregation dating back to 1613. In 1840 the coming together of two Presbyterian Churches, the General Synod of Ulster and the Secession Synod formed the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
The most senior office-bearer within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and its public representative, is the Moderator of the General Assembly. The current Moderator is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ian McNie, Minister of Trinity of Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, County Antrim. The Moderator is elected by the General Assembly each year.
- Church in the Public Square
The Church in the Public Square series of conferences began in January 2014, with the aim of bringing together a number of leading thinkers in the UK and Ireland to consider the role which Christians and the Church can play in wider community life.
Organised by PCI's Council for Church in Society and the Church's Union Theological College, delegates at the conferences have examined subjects that are both sensitive and current in today's society – and to discuss how the Church can work together with others in the wider community for the common good. Subjects have included:
- The Church in the Public Square?30th January 2014
- Freedom and Religion – 9thOctober 2014
- Living and dying well' – 22nd January 2015
- Economic Hope: A biblical roadmap for a just society9thOctober 2015
For information
- Conference Cost
The conference, which includes lunch, costs £20 (£12 full-time student). Early registration by Monday 21st December 2015. Closing date for registration is Friday 15th January 2016.
- Union Theological College
Union Theological College is the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s principal body for the training of its ministers prior to ordination. As part of the Christian community of faith, the College seeks to serve Christ and every branch of His Church, by providing teaching in biblical, theological, historical, pastoral and mission studies to students irrespective of denominational background.
The College is a union of two 19th century Irish Presbyterian Colleges - the Presbyterian Theological College, Belfast (1853) and Magee Theological College (1865) in Londonderry. It became Union Theological College on the passing of an Act of Parliament in 1978, which merged both colleges.
While many students come to Union to train for a specific form of ministry or mission, many come with no vocational aspirations, wanting to study theology out of academic interest, or to deepen their faith. As one of the recognised colleges that provide the teaching for theology degrees offered by Queen’s University, Belfast, this important relationship between Union and university is integral to both.For more information see: union.ac.uk
5. The Council for Church in Society
The Council for Church in Society is one of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s seven councils that came into effect on 1 January 2015 to oversee the work of the Church on behalf of the General Assembly of the Church.
The Council is authorised by the General Assembly to speak on behalf of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland on matters of public policy. Its Convener is the former Moderator, the Very Reverend Dr. Norman Hamilton OBE.