March 25, 2014: 'Northwest by Northwest: Alaska and Ireland'

by Michelle Saport  |   

Tuesday, March 25, 3-4 p.m. Administration/Humanities Building, Room 204

UAA invites students to a conversation with a visiting delegation from Ireland. Students from all disciplines are welcome to join the session "Northwest by Northwest: Alaska and Ireland" with the Irish-Alaska Delegation:

  • Dinny McGinley, minister of state for Gaeltacht Affairs
  • Philip Grant, consul general of Ireland for the Western United States
  • Louise Purcell, private secretary to the minster
  • Seamus Neely, Donegal county manager
  • Michael Heany, Donegal county director of services

About the visitors: Minister McGinley is an elected member of the Irish Parliament (Dal Eireann) as a Teachta Dala (member of Congress). He was appointed to the position of minister of state in 2011 by Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny. The position oversees affairs related to the indigenous Irish-Gaelic speakers. In his 30 years of service as a TD, he has served on committees for arts, heritage, defense, community, equality, climate change, energy security, Irish language, social affairs and small business. He is also a 45-plus year member of the Irish National Teachers Union.

Consul General Philip Grant assumed duty as consul general of Ireland to the Western United States in San Francisco on Sept. 30, 2013. From Dublin, Philip has been a diplomat with the Irish Foreign Ministry since 1992. Prior to his appointment as consul general, he was spokesperson and director for press and media relations in the Foreign Ministry for four years. He worked on the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama to Ireland, the Global Irish Economic Forum and Ireland's EU Presidency. He was previously posted to the United States in 1994-97, when he served as vice-consul at the Irish Consulate in Chicago, covering the Midwest and Southern U.S. From 2006-09, he was deputy head of mission at Ireland's Embassy to Turkey in Ankara; and from 2002-2006, he was based in Israel as deputy head of mission at the Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv. Consul General Grant has also served in the Middle East and Anglo-Irish Sections of the Irish Foreign Ministry in Dublin, and at Ireland's Mission to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He is a science graduate of Trinity College in Dublin.

RSVP to Maria Stroth at mastroth@uaa.alaska.edu and join us for this unique opportunity.

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