Date: Thursday, 4 November 2021 - Friday, 5 November 2021
Duration: 2 Days

Unions, Break-ups and Special Relationships –Aspects of the Irish-German-UK Relationships 
University of Limerick, 4-5 November 2021  

Organisation: Centre for Irish-German Studies, UL, in coordination with Faculty of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Ulster University, the Centre for European Studies, UL and the Konrad-Adenauer -Stiftung (KAS), Dublin/London

This conference will focus on three aspects:

  • A discussion of the initial impact and ongoing repercussions of Brexit for British-German Relations and British Studies in Germany/German Studies in the UK as well as Irish-German relations and German Studies in Ireland and Irish Studies in Germany.
  • With the benefit of hindsight ...  – Reflecting on German unification from a cultural, political, legal and economic perspective. Focussing on reunification itself, this part will ask what lessons can be learned from the German experience? Aspects that have been of particular relevance in Germany included the question of whether accession or unification was/would have been the best course of action. Keeping in mind the vastly different situation in Ireland North and South, are there aspects that could of interest in the ‘Shared Ireland, Shared Island’ discussions? 
  • Engagement with Europe and the European Union in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit. This part will analyse the situation north and south of the Irish border vis-a-vis the EU and the European context of economic, legal, policy and cultural questions.

Thursday 4 November 2021 

Venue: A&L Goodbody Moot Appeal Court Room, Glucksman Library, University of Limerick 
2.30pm Welcome – Prof Kerstin Mey, President University of Limerick & organisers  
Part I Academia and Languages: British-German Relations and British Studies in Germany/German Studies in the UK as well as Irish-German relations and German Studies in Ireland and Irish Studies in Germany
2.45pm – 4.15pm – Session 1 Chair: Robert Henneberg (Cultural Attaché, German Embassy Dublin)   
Prof Katharina Rennhak (Wuppertal) – Irish Studies in Germany  
Prof Nicola McLelland (Nottingham) – German Studies in Britain  
Prof Pól O Dochartaigh (NUI Galway)/ Dr Marieke Krajenbrink (UL & Co-Chair GSAI) – German Studies in Ireland North and South   
4.45pm – 6.15pm – Session 2 Chair: Prof Joachim Fischer (UL)
Dr Paul Gillespie (Dep. Director, Institute British-Irish Studies, UCD) – British-Irish Studies  
Prof Gisela Holfter (UL) – Irish-German Studies  
Dr Marius Guderjan (Centre for British Studies, HU Berlin) – German-British Relations  
7pm Conference dinner

Friday 5 November 2021

Part II Different Experiences of Coming Together, Dividing and Sharing
9am – 10am – Session 3 Chair: Dr iur. Patricia Conlan (UL)
With the benefit of hindsight ...  – Reflecting on German unification from a political and cultural perspective 
Prof Constantin Goschler (Bochum) – Reflecting on German reunification    
Prof Jürgen Pelzer (Athens/Los Angeles) – Poetry from East & West - Before and After. Poetic reflections on the ‘Wende’ and reunification
10.30am - 11.30am – Session 4 Chair: Prof Shane Kilcommins (Dean AHSS, UL)  
A Shared Ireland, Shared Island? – Reflecting on challenges and opportunities of the Irish situation
Prof Oran Doyle (Trinity College, Dublin) – Constitutional issues   
Prof James McAuley (University of Huddersfield) – The future of Northern Ireland 
11.30am – 12.00pm Open Discussion

Part III Europe and the European Union in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit
1.15pm – 2.45pm – Session 5 Chair: Prof Edward Moxon-Browne  
Analysing the situation north and south of the Irish border vis-a-vis the EU and the European context of economic, legal, policy and cultural questions.
Prof John Coakley (QUB) – Ireland, Northern Ireland and the EU   
Prof Mary Murphy (UCC) – Northern Ireland, Ireland and the EU   
Prof Joachim Fischer (UL) – Irish Visions of the EU, North and South: Cultural and Educational Discourses  
3.00pm – 4.30pm Concluding Roundtable chaired by Prof Paul Carmichael (Ulster University)
Prof Edward Moxon-Browne (Emeritus Professor European Studies, UL)  
Tony Connelly (RTE, Brussels)   
Prof Katy Hayward (Queen’s University, Belfast)  
Prof John O’Brennan (Maynooth University)  
Prof Oran Doyle (Trinity College Dublin)​​​​​​