ICCL Anniversary Conference: Fifty Years of Fighting for Civil Liberties: What Next for Democracy?

In June 1976, a group of activists, academics and lawyers gathered in Trinity College Dublin for the inaugural meeting of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).

50 years later, ICCL in partnership with Trinity's School of Law, invites you to our anniversary conference "Fifty Years of Fighting for Civil Liberties: What Next for Democracy?".

The full agenda is on our website: https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ICCL-50th-anniversary-conference-agenda.pdf

Speakers include:

• Dr Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland
• Judge Marie Baker, former Supreme Court Judge and former ICCL Board member
• Conor Brady, former editor of The Irish Times and former member of GSOC
• Dr Roisin Costello BL, barrister, Assistant Professor of EU and International Law, TCD, and Director of "DEMCONEX" The Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence in Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe's Digital Age 
• Olga Cronin, Senior Policy Officer, ICCL
• Dr Eileen Culloty, Associate Professor, DCU School of Communications, and Deputy Director, DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society
• Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, barrister and international human rights lawyer
• Lawson Naidoo, Executive Secretary, Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution
  
• Kieran Rose, equality and human rights activist and former ICCL Board member
• Dr Johnny Ryan, ICCL Enforce 
• Dr Illan rua Wall, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Galway

Join us in the Trinity Business School as we reflect on the campaigns and achievements of the past 50 years, and consider what challenges and opportunities lie ahead of us.

At the event, ICCL will also launch our new Strategic Plan 2026-2029.

The conference starts at 10am and finishes at 3.30pm, with lunch provided. A full agenda will be provided in due course.

We look forward to seeing you there.