As Vince McCarthy opened the 2026 MacGill Summer School, he began with remarks about the late Dr. Joe Mulholland’s founding mission: to create a space for long-term thinking for the country.
MacGill was designed to be a space for new ideas, bringing together thoughtful people who would challenge conventional thinking outside of the Dublin bubble. The Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, part of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, came on board as co-organizer five years ago and brought new life and perspectives which have further sharpened and enhanced this undertaking. Over the course of the weekend, July 23-25, the 45 speakers who joined in conversation with a broad, public audience on the theme of “The New World Disorder” certainly fulfilled this mission.
The value of MacGill for such “long-term thinking” cannot be understated. As a forum to listen, learn and discuss, it is unparalleled in the exchanges it enables. Through the formal sessions and Q&As but also through the conversations in the coffee queue, the chit chat at dinner or in Roddy’s bar after a long day. The mixing of academics, leading practitioners, politicians and members of the public for three days in the beautiful setting of Glenties, Co. Donegal, facilitates conversations covering a broad spectrum. In doing so, it offers fresh perspectives and encourages participants and attendees to reconsider familiar subjects armed with new insights and informed by the rich discussions of the day.
This year’s opening panel was a particular highlight. The panel challenged the idea that current geopolitical tensions are the result of a temporary period of instability, arguing that we are living through a period of deep transformation. This transformation is driven by technology, shifting global power dynamics, war, economic interdependence and the growing pressures facing democracy. Professor Brigid Laffan, journalist Niall Stanage, British Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Kara Owen CMG and economist Dan O’Brien discussed how Ireland, and Europe, should respond to this change.
For Stanage, the White House correspondent for The Hill, the American dimension was particularly concerning. He focused on unpredictability, attacks on institutions and an erosion of the normal rules of political and economic life which he argues are creating uncertainty both inside the United States and internationally. He asked whether the US can withstand these current pressures. On the final day of the conference, Robert Schmuhl, an emeritus professor of American studies and journalism at Notre Dame, returned to this subject through discussion of evolutions in US foreign policy and its changing relationships with its historical allies.
Owen, while approaching from the European perspective, similarly argued that greater resilience is needed. On the topic of defense, which became a key focus over the weekend, she reiterated that cybersecurity, energy supplies, technology, infrastructure and the ability of businesses and citizens to withstand disruption must all be considered part of national security. She stated that countries must aim to preserve their relationships with one another, while adapting them to a changing international context. O’Brien, chief economist for the Institute of International and European Affairs, echoed these sentiments, outlining that security needs to become a much greater priority for Ireland. The panel felt that priorities should include building resilient energy and supply chains, keeping trusted international partnerships alive and improving how Ireland adapts to technological and geopolitical change. They concurred that the future does not have to be defined by disorder, but Ireland and other countries have to adapt to new forms of stability.
Another standout panel was the Hume Lecture given by Dr. Mike Ryan, former executive director of the World Health Organization, and chaired by Professor Luke O’Neill of Trinity College Dublin. This panel brought together perspectives from science, international diplomacy and public policy. The discussion ranged from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to artificial intelligence, the future of medicine, Ireland's international reputation and the responsibilities that come with technological power.
Ryan emphasized that during COVID, some governments waited too long to act because they were uncertain about what the evidence would eventually show. By the time action was taken, hospitals were overwhelmed and much more disruptive measures became necessary. For him, the lesson is not that governments should act recklessly but that crisis management often requires decisions to be made without certainty. This panel reiterated a similar message to the opening discussion: Ireland must center courage and adaptability to harness its potential. The audience applauded Ryan with a standing ovation, demonstrating the popularity of his frank assessment: in an uncertain world, the ability to adapt may be more valuable than the ability to predict.
The discussion on organized crime with journalist and author Barry Cummins, former Commissioner of An Garda Síochána Drew Harris, former White House and US Department of the Treasury official Greg Gatjanis and Belfast Telegraph crime correspondent Allison Morris offered fascinating and informative perspectives on a topic less well covered over the Summer School. The panel explored how crime is no longer simply a local problem, confined by borders or traditional gang structures. It has evolved into a sophisticated, international threat. The panelists argued that, as a result, policing must evolve with it.
At the center of the discussion was the Kinahan Organised Crime Group and the international response that led to US financial sanctions in 2022. Gatjanis, drawing on his experience with the US Department of the Treasury, explained how what appeared at first to be an Irish criminal matter was revealed to him to be an organization whose influence, wealth and violence demanded an international response. The panel also highlighted how criminal networks can exploit technology. The EncroChat breach provided law enforcement with unprecedented insight into criminal communications, revealing plans for drug deals and murders, and demonstrating how little significance national borders have for organized crime. The panel discussed how drug trafficking fuels violence and paramilitary activity and how vulnerable people can become trapped through drug debts, intimidation and exploitation. This conversation emphasized that these consequences can often be hidden from public view. Perhaps the most important message was that organized crime itself has changed. Rather than operating as rigid, vertically structured organizations, modern criminal networks are increasingly decentralized, flexible and willing to form temporary alliances across borders.
MacGill 2026 also included a return to more creative programming, with a performance from Colin Murphy’s The Weak Suffer What They Must. This adaptation of Thucydides’ Melian Dialogue enabled audiences to reflect on the ancient roots of “realist” foreign policy. The discussion that followed saw journalist Sarah Carey moderate a panel with Laffan, Ryan, former Teachta Dála Cathal Berry, and Colin Barr, the Thomas Moore and Judy Livingston Director of the Keough-Naughton Institute. This panel again returned the focus of the Summer School to defense and neutrality, which had also been the topic of the “For and Against Neutrality”panel the previous evening. Murphy’s play invited the audience to reflect on Ireland’s policy of neutrality, to question what neutrality means when a country is faced with international conflict, political pressure and moral responsibility. The play provided an opportunity to consider how Ireland balances its traditional commitment to neutrality with its responsibilities to the wider world, highlighting themes of inequality, power and political decision-making.
A further panel that piqued interest this year was on unionism in 2026, with Belfast journalist Sam McBride and Jon Burrows. Burrows spoke candidly about how, in his view, unionism has been failing to sell itself well to young people, relying on an outdated tone. He took up the role as Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader because he views the party as unequivocal in pursuing unionism without sectarianism. He reiterated that in his view “peace is not enough ... we need to make Northern Ireland work.” Burrows was also critical of how reform in the north has often only come in response to crisis, and argued that efficiency at Stormont could be improved. Overall, he felt that for those he represents, day-to-day issues take priority over constitutional change, summing this up as “potholes, not border polls.”
These panels represent just a brief insight into some of the many and varied discussions that took place at this year’s MacGill. What is also particularly heartening to see is an increasingly diverse audience, and higher numbers of young people attending year on year. As a forum to engage with cutting edge debate on current affairs the value of MacGill really cannot be underestimated. Perhaps this sentiment is best encapsulated by Queen’s University Belfast student, and regular attendee, James Tourish who said:
Having attended the MacGill Summer School for the last three years as a student, I’ve always found the discussions and panels highly engaging and relevant to my studies as a politics and IR student at Queen’s University Belfast. The Summer School offers the opportunity to listen to those in many different fields, from elected politics to the world of medicine and global health policy. For anyone interested in current affairs, I think it’s a must-attend for anyone making summer plans.
One of the unique experiences in being an attendee that I’ve found, is the conversations with those also in attendance and even some of the speakers. With so many people from a variety of backgrounds, you can sit down with someone and have a conversation about something, and then 10 minutes later have a chat about something entirely different! The breadth and depth of knowledge is not something replicated in many other places.
For anyone interested in current affairs or anything policy related, I really could not recommend attending the MacGill Summer School in Glenties enough, which at the very least, will provide you with a chance to experience the beautiful Donegal breeze and chats with the friendliest locals and fellow attendees.
Learn more about the MacGill Summer School at macgillsummerschool.com.