Leo Varadkar, the former Taoiseach of Ireland, will spend the next two weeks at the University of Notre Dame as a distinguished policy fellow with the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs.
Varadkar served as Taoiseach — which is the nation’s prime minister — from 2017 to 2020 and again from 2022 to 2024. One of his signature accomplishments in office came when the neighboring United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union, a move dubbed “Brexit.” Varadkar worked to prevent a hard border between the Republic of Ireland, which remains an EU member, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.
“As a former head of government, Leo Varadkar brings extensive experience in policy-making and diplomacy at the highest levels. His visit to campus promises to enrich the academic and intellectual life of both the Keough School and the University,” said Mary Gallagher, the Marilyn Keough Dean and Professor of Global Affairs in the Keough School.
Varadkar’s experience with Brexit, in particular, will figure into his activities at Notre Dame this week and next week.
ARINS, Ireland and Notre Dame
Varadkar will participate in a public conversation, “ARINS, Ireland and Notre Dame,” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in The Forum in Jenkins Nanovic Halls.
The event will showcase the work of ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South), which is a joint academic project of the Keough-Naughton Institute and the Royal Irish Academy. ARINS Chairperson Patrick Prendergast, the former provost of Trinity College Dublin, and Lynn Scarff, executive director of the Royal Irish Academy, will also join the conversation as guest speakers.
ARINS has become an important source of insights for Irish policymakers, academics and citizens since the project was established five years ago in the wake of Brexit.
The project provides nonpartisan research on and analysis of the most fundamental questions facing the island of Ireland with two primary lines of inquiry: 1) exploring how to make the island work better for citizens across two jurisdictions, and 2) examining constitutional options for and against a united Ireland.
Policy Lab: Borders and Brexit
Varadkar will also be a guest lecturer in the “Policy Lab: Borders and Brexit” course taught by Professor of Modern Irish History Colin Barr, who serves as the Thomas Moore and Judy Livingston Director of the Keough-Naughton Institute.
The course focuses on how the Irish government navigated the complexities and uncertainties of Brexit to ensure that people and goods could continue moving between the north and south on the island of Ireland.
“It’s an honor to welcome Leo Varadkar to Notre Dame,” Barr said. “Our students and faculty are looking forward to learning from his experience as Ireland’s head of government as well as the policy lessons that can be gleaned from exploring the reverberations that Brexit has had in Great Britain and Ireland.”
This is Varadkar’s second trip to Notre Dame in recent years. He was previously on campus in September 2024 during a time that coincided with a visit from Joseph Kennedy III, then the U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.
The public conversation, “ARINS, Ireland and Notre Dame,” is open to the Notre Dame community and the general public. All are welcome to attend the event at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in The Forum in Jenkins Nanovic Halls.