On Friday, September 20, the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies welcomed two guest speakers on-campus for its annual Ireland Advisory Council meeting: Joseph Kennedy III, U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, and Leo Varadkar, former Taoiseach of Ireland (2017 - 2020; 2022-2024) and current Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency.

Joseph Kennedy III joined guests of the Keough-Naughton Institute as well as the wider community of the Keough School of Global Affairs for a luncheon. In his conversation with Patrick Griffin, the Thomas Moore and Judith Livingston Director of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, Kennedy discussed his role as Special Envoy, the current economic landscape in Northern Ireland, and enduring cultural and diplomatic connections between the U.S. and the island of Ireland.

Later in the afternoon, Leo Varadkar joined Colin Barr, Director of the Clingen Family Center for the Study of Modern Ireland, for a public fireside chat that resulted in a packed auditorium and standing-room-only event. Varadkar reflected on his political career, pivotal international events that occurred during his time as Taoiseach– including the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit– and his experience leading Ireland through these times of crisis and transformation. In addition to this look at the past, Varadkar also offered considerations of the future– both Ireland’s and his own. Among the topics he discussed were prospects of Irish unification, the challenges that face a newly elected Irish government, and his ongoing work on his autobiography slated for publication in Autumn 2025.

Outside of their speaking engagements, both Kennedy and Varadkar were generous with their time and enthusiastically met with the Keough-Naughton Institute staff, members of the Institute’s Ireland Advisory Council and faculty and students that attended their events.

During his stay on-campus for the weekend, Varadkar met with several groups of students for coffee and conversation, including Irish Studies students, undergraduate diplomacy fellows from the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and students from Ireland studying at Notre Dame.

Several students offered reflections of the time they spent with Varadkar:

“Politicians often appear distant from the average person; however, my experience meeting Leo Varadkar, former Taoiseach of Ireland, reminded me that many leaders genuinely care and strive to represent their people. This is important to remember and gives me hope as we approach the upcoming U.S. Presidential election.” -Peyton Marrone, ‘25

“I am so grateful to the Nanovic Institute and the Keough-Naughton Institute for the opportunity to meet and talk with Leo Varadkar over coffee. Our conversation ranged from topics of current Irish politics to the day-to-day life of a head of state. It was very meaningful to hear about Varadkar’s journey to political office as a way of making impactful change. His kind demeanor was a nice reminder that the people in power in our governments are human beings as well. His straightforward and eloquent communication style is something that I will work to emulate in my own career.” -Clare Hill, ‘25

“Learning about Mr. Varadkar's handling of Irish foreign affairs proved invaluable to me, especially as a student fascinated by International Relations. It was compelling to hear him make his case for a foreign policy centered around the dignity of the human person.” -Donal Connaughton, ‘27

"I was pleasantly surprised by the honesty Leo showed regarding the inner workings of the Dail and how down to Earth he was as a person. It definitely showed me a side to politics that I did not realize existed and helped me see the Irish government system in a new light." -Alan Gordon, '25

You can read more about the Keough-Naughton Institute’s events with Joseph Kennedy III and Leo Varadkar here:

In The Observer: “Leo Varadkar and Joe Kennedy III speak at Notre Dame” by Liam Kelly ‘25.

In Notre Dame Magazine: “The Gist: ‘Irishness Has Changed’” by Jason Kelly.

Originally published by Ariel Clark-Semyck at irishstudies.nd.edu on October 01, 2024.