A New Constitution: A Second Republic?
It’s the beginning of a new decade and the nation has rarely been so battered and bruised. There’s more pain to come but what will be the gain when we finally come out of this winter of discontent?
What about a new version of Bunreacht na h-Éireann - a radical shake-up of the 1937 version for a new generation? A full separation of church and State, reform of the Dáil and Seanad, elections, local government and the civil service?
Commentators lament the lack of leadership among the political class, so why don’t we take it upon ourselves to give ourselves a new Constitution for a new era?
Leviathan returns in a new decade on February 4th in the Button Factory at 8.30pm hosted by Mark Little (late of RTÉ’s Primetime) with a panel including Brendan Halligan, chairman of the Institute of International and European Affairs; lecturer and columnist with The Irish Times, Elaine Byrne; Senator Rónán Mullen; and one of Ireland’s foremost constitutional experts Gerard Hogan SC. There will also be entertainment of a political and scandalous hue from Paddy Cullivan and The Emergency: Live.
Tickets €17.50 including booking fee available here.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Should one bring along a copy of the present Constitution?
January 25th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
It would be useful. By way of illustration, we may also project relevant pages onto the screen behind the panel.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I enjoyed last night but thought a little more time on the actual debate and a little less time for Paddy Cullivan would have been better. I’ve been to a few Leviathans and don’t think he can carry the amount of time you give him, and I think that is evidenced in the lacklustre audience reaction to his stuff. What’s the word on this Mindfield Festival I’ve been hearing about?
February 22nd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Funny enough I read out most of the constitution and put the entire evening in context. I needed that time. The lacklustre audience reaction is because I am the warm-up person for an audience of mostly newbies to the Leviathan concept of satire and debate. Most are there for the debate. I am there for the satire. But I prepared everybody by making sure we weren’t just dealing in large broad strokes but with the actual minutae of the rediculous Dev Constitution we have. Better to listen rather then look around and see how other people are reacting. Enjoy yourself. If you don’t like it fair enough but I did more for the debate reading out the words that we were debating and Brendan Halligan certainly thought it was a useful exercise. Mark Little wasn’t going to be there until later and that’s why the debate was short as well. Goodnight.