2026 CULTURAL SUMMIT & AGM
2026 Clans of Ireland – Finte na hÉireann Cultural Summit & AGM
Saturday 11th April
The 2026 Cultural Summit will take place at the Stephen’s Green Club, Dublin on Saturday 11th April. The AGM will follow the Cultural Summit.
We ere honoured to have secured key speakers for this year’s event and we have added a new element to our proceedings, an outdoor Procession of the Clans. We strongly encourage all our attending clans to bring their clan banners and process with our Piper and our Gallowglass and Kern Honour Guard.
The full programme is detailed below.
SATURDAY 11th APRIL
The 2026 Cultural Summit will take place at the Stephen’s Green Club Dublin. We have a packed programme with wonderful speakers, the awarding our trophy and prize to the winner of the Clans of Ireland and Standing Council of Irish Chief and Chief’s Essay Competition. We also have three worthy recipients of the Clans of Ireland Order of Merit.
We are also excited to announce the first PROCESSION OF THE IRISH CLANS, an outdoor event that will open the 2026 CLUTURAL SUMMIT. All attendees are invited to participate. We encourage you to bring your clan banner and process with our Piper and our Gallowglass and Kern Honour Guard. Clan Chiefs, Chieftains, Taoiseach and Ceann Fine are invited to wear their clan regalia, tradition clothing if have them and join us for this wonderful expression of our Gaelic culture. Details on our procession will be provided when you make your booking.
PROGRAMME DETAILS:
09:00 – Registration Opens: 1st Floor, Stephen’s Green Club, Dublin
09:45 – Assembly of clan delegations for the Procession of Irish Clans including welcome address by Cathaoirleach Michael O’Crowley
10:00 – Procession of the Irish Clans: Accompanied by Clan Banners, Piper and Gallowglass and Kern Honour Guard
10:30 – Entry of the Irish Clans: Banners are presented, Chiefs and Chieftains are announced and welcomed by Cathaoirleach Michael O’Crowley
10:50 – Opening Address: Cathaoirleach Michael O’Crowley
11:00 – First Lecture / Presentation – Kevin Flanagan, founder of the Brehon Academy. Law & Legend: Discovery Ireland’s Ancient System of Laws, followed by a fire side chat / questions and answers, with Leas-Chathaoirleach Luke McInerney
12:00 – Second Lecture / Presentation – Dave Swift, founder of Claíomh, the Irish living history and mobile museum: Gaelic Military Dress in the Middle Ages followed by a fire side chat / questions and answers with Ceann Fine Chraith Ulaidh, Seán Alexander McGrath
13:00 – Short Discussion / Presentation: Cathaoirleach Michael O’Crowley on: Irish Medieval Dress
13:15 – Lunch: With an open address by delegates on their upcoming Clan Gatherings this summer.
14:15 – Presentation of the Clans of Ireland Order of Merit to this year’s worthy recipients
14:45 – Winner of the joint Clans of Ireland – Finte na hÉireann / Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains – Buanchomhairle Thaoisigh hÉireann Essay Competition – David C. MacDonagh will present on his winning essay: ‘Would the Real Síl Muiredeag Please Stand Up’
15:15 – Commencement of the Annual General Meeting (AGM): Opening address by Cathaoirleach including an update on Linea Antiqua, Memorialising Emigré Dignity et alia
16:00 – Closing of AGM and Final Remarks: by Cathaoirleach Michael O’Crowley.
19:00 – Clans of Ireland – Finte na hÉireann Gala Banquet: Stephen’s Green Club – Black Tie, Orders and Decorations (Book separately using the link below)
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE CULTURAL SUMMIT !!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE GALA BANQUET !!
The Cultural Summit is open to the public and includes participation in the Procession of the Clans. Further details will be provided at booking. Seating is limited to 80, so booking early is recommended.
A light lunch will be served on the day and is included in the booking fee for the 2026 Cultural Summit of €35.
The AGM is limited to current registered Clans of Ireland and their delegates. There is no fee if delegates are attending the AGM only. If you would like to attend the AGM only. Please book via Eventbrite here.
2026 CULTURAL SUMMIT - KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
PREVIOUS CULTURAL SUMMITS AND AGMs
2025
The 2025 Cultural Summit and AGM took place on the 4th and 5th April 2025. We ere honoured to have secured Dr. Paul Mac Cotter as a keynote lecturer for Saturday 5th. Dr. MacCotter teaches genealogy, family history, and medieval history at University College Cork.
The 2024/25 winner of the prestigious Standing Council of the Irish Chiefs and Chieftains Essay Competition, which is jointly sponsored by Clans of Ireland was also honoured. Cora Crampton’s ground-breaking work: Three women of the O’Byrnes: Perspectives on Gaelic political marriage in the sixteenth century was published in the November/December 2024 issue of History Ireland. The Cultural Summit was privileged to have Ms Crampton read her essay and engage in a question and answer session with the gathering. The essay, which explores the position of sixteenth-century Gaelic aristocratic women, related to the theme of the Clans of Ireland 2025 Cultural Summit “Association between People and Place in Medieval Irish Society”.
The full programmer over the two days is detailed below.
Clans of Ireland Cultural Summit and AGM 2025 – Full Programme
4th and 5th April 2025
At the Stephen’s Green Club, 9 Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.
Theme: Association between People and Place in Medieval Irish Society
Friday 4th April
9.45 – Meeting at Stephen’s Green Club for coach to:
10.00 – Travel to Glendalough via Lough Tae – Photography stop
12.00 – 13.00 – Glendalough Monastic Site (St Kevin & St Lawrence O’Toole) and visitor centre
13.00 – 13.30 – Early Irish Monasticism – Luke McInerney
13.30 – 13-50 – Transfer to Glenmalure
14.00 – 15.00 – Lunch at Glenmalure Lodge
15.30 – 16.15 – The territory of the O’Byrne of Glenmalure and site of the Battle of Glenmalure in 1580, led by Dr Emmett O’Byrne
16.30 – 17.00 – Travel to Dublin
20.00 – Dinnéar an Chathaoirligh – Chairmans’s Dinner at Stephen’s Green Club (optional)
Saturday 5th April
10.00 – 11.00 – Registration & refreshments.
11.00 – 12.00 – Annual General Meeting
12.00 – 12.15 – Presentation of Clans of Ireland Order of Merit awards 2025
12.15 – 12.45 – Dean Dunne of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin on St. Lawrence O’Toole – Saints and Sinners
12.45 – 13.15 – Paráid agus Fáiltiú Ceannairí Finte na hÉireann – Parade and Reception of Chiefs and Leaders
13.15 – Group photograph
13.30 – 14.30 – Light lunch during which a number of organisers of this year’s Crinniu will be invited to announce them.
14.30 – 15.30 – Lecture: Dr Paul McCotter. Dept. of Archaeology UCC, ‘The Tuath’ (Followed by fireside chat and Q&A with Luke McInerney)
15.35 – 16.00 – Winning Essay Presentation: Cora Crampton – Three women of the O’Byrnes: perspectives on Gaelic political marriage in the sixteenth century (followed by Q&A)
16.05 – Presentation of the Ó Ceallaigh Dal gCais Trophy to Cora Crampton
16.00 – Closing address by An Cathaoirleach
20.00 – Clans of Ireland Gala Dinner Reception (Black Tie with medals and Honours) including parade of Companions of the Order of Clans of Ireland – Compánaigh Fhinte na hÉireann
The 2025 Cultural Summit was Live Streamed and can be viewed on the Clans of Ireland Youtube channel.
2024 Clans of Ireland Cultural Summit & AGM
The theme for the 2024 cultural summit was “The historic building / monuments / sites associated with Ireland’s clans”.
On Friday 12th April, Clans of Ireland led a guided tour of the world heritage site of Newgrange – Brú na Bóinne.
Newgrange is a neolithic monument set in the Boyne Valley, Co. Meath and is the jewel in the crown of Ireland’s ancient east. Newgrange was constructed around 5,200 years ago and is older that Stonehenge and the great pyramids of Giza.
Much more than a passage tomb, Newgrange is recognised to be a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance that has a special place in the history and mythology of Ireland. Through its unique construction, Newgrange receives the winter solstice sunlight to illuminate the mysteries of this place of legend.
On Saturday 13th April, the Clans of Ireland AGM and Cultural Summit took place at the St. Stephen’s Green Club, Dublin.
Speakers of the Cultural Summit included:
Dr. Joseph Mannion – Anglicising Tudor Connacht, The expansion of English rule in the lordship of Clanrickard and Hy Many. Dr. Mannion’s presentation is available to view here and the Q&A session with Dr. Mannion is can be viewed here.
Dr. Rachel Moss – Building Gaelic Ireland in the late middle ages. Dr. Ross’s presentation is available to view here and the Q&A session with Dr. Moss can be viewed here.
Risteárd Ua Cróinín (Archaeologist and Conservation Officer, Clare County Council) – The restoration of historic buildings with practical actions and common issues. Risteárd Ua Cróinín’s presentation is available to view here and the Q&A session with Risteárd can be viewed here.
The day concluded with an evening reception and gala dinner.
Stay in touch with our Facebook page and YouTube channel for images and videos of our speakers and the day’s events and for information on our upcoming events.
Speakers at Previous Cultural Summits
Dr. Simon Egan
Dr. Simon Egan is a lecturer at the School of History, Anthropology, Philosopy and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast. Specialising in the fields of Medieval Irish and Scottish political, social history, c.1100-c.16-00, hew was previously Assistant Professor in Medieval Irish and British History at Trinity College Dublin and a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies at the University of Glasgow.
Dr Egan’s research interests also include lordship and nobility, as well as culture and society within the Gaelic world.
Among his published works is the essay ‘An Irish Context to a Scottish Disaster: James IV, the O’Donnells of Tyrconnell and the Road to Flodden’, which won the 2016 Irish Chiefs’ and Clans’ Prize in History, sponsored jointly by the Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains with Clans of Ireland. This essay was subsequently published in Politics, Kinship and Culture in Gaelic Ireland, c.1100-c.1690: Essays for the Irish Chiefs’ and Clans’ Prize in History (Volume 2 of the series of anthologies of essays, published by Wordwell Books; Dublin, 2018; K. Simms and J. Mannion (eds.).
Dr James O’Neill, Archaeologist, author and a graduate of the Queens University Belfast History Department.
Born in Belfast, he worked in the field of contract archaeology before considering entertaining a career in history. He gained a PhD from Queens University Belfast in 2013, before completing a two-year post-doctorate fellowship in the School of History, University College Cork. He then returned to Belfast where he now works as a heritage consultant, specializing in battlefield/conflict archaeology.
His important book, ‘The Nine Years War, 1593–1603; O’Neill, Mountjoy and the military revolution’ , published by Four Courts Press in 2017, has revised the account and understanding of the Nine Years War and an important reassessment of the military dimensions of that War, as positioned in the wider context of European political and military history. It describes how Hugh O’Neill, earl of Tyrone, and his allies outclassed the army of the English Crown, accomplishing a series of remarkable successes and victories to bring the control of Queen Elizabeth I to the verge of collapse in Ireland. The book utilises supporting evidence to show that Irish society was not just more progressive but was also swifter at embracing military modernisation than its English adversaries.
Other highlights of the day’s programme included:
Michael Fitzpatrick in conversation with Michael O’Crowley, “The Transformation of a Surname Association into Multiple Clan Organisations” and the presentation of Chiefs’ and Clans’ 2022 History Essay Prize & the Ó Ceallaigh Dal gCais Trophy to Melissa Shiels. She read her prize-winning essay “No mean diplomat the gift exchange practices of Shane O’Neill, a Renaissance Gaelic lord”.
Each of the speakers presentations was followed by a ‘fireside chat’ with Luke McInerney or Michael O’Crowley.
All lecturers and events from the 2023 Cultural Summit programme are available to view on Youtube.
