Fulbright Ireland presents The Ties That Bind: The Moth in Dublin
Fulbright Ireland presents The Ties That Bind: The Moth in Dublin
Thursday 9th April, 2015 at Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin
6.30pm Doors, 7.30pm Stories Begin
Hosted by Dan Kennedy
Stories by Sinéad Burke, Catherine Cross, Anne Driscoll, among others
Our Host
Dan Kennedy is a writer and performer living in New York, and a longtime host and performer at The Moth. His stories have appeared in GQ Magazine, McSweeney’s, and in numerous print anthologies including New Yorker humorist Ian Frazier’s “Humor Me: An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing.” Kennedy is the author of three books, “Loser Goes First”, “Rock On” (A Times of London Book of The Year, series rights bought by HBO) and the novel “American Spirit”.
Our Storytellers
Sinéad Burke is currently a PhD Student within the School of Education in Trinity College, Dublin. Previously, Sinéad has worked as a primary school teacher and as a broadcaster on national and local airwaves. She is the Alternative Miss Ireland emeritus and documents the lives of some of the country’s most intriguing and empowering people on her blog, ‘Minnie Mélange’. Further Information can be found at minniemelange.com
Catherine Cross lives in the Midlands with her husband Colm and has two sons, Matthew and Lucas. She has worked as a bridal seamstress for the past 28 years, and is now in her final year of a Social Science degree in Maynooth University. She enjoys singing in choirs and directs her own small choir in Rathangan Parish. She is currently secretary of the Parents support group TransParenCI, who support parents and family members of transgender youths. She presented to the Oireachtas Committee in the Dáil in October 2013 as part of the debate on the Gender Recognition Bill.
Anne Driscoll is an award-winning journalist and 2013-2014 US Fulbright Scholar who worked with the Irish Innocence Project at Griffith College Dublin to train law students how to investigate and interview in order to progress miscarriages of justice cases. She is currently the Irish Innocence Project Journalist Project Manager and has served as the Senior Reporter since 2006 at the Justice Brandeis Law Project of the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. She has previously contributed regularly to the Boston Globe, New York Times and People magazine. She is also a licensed social worker in Massachusetts.
Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri is a renowned Islamic scholar based in Ireland who was born and brought up in the Netherlands. His lectures are aired regularly on various Islamic TV channels across the globe. He represents the Muslim community of Ireland in various governmental and non-governmental bodies and organisations both in Ireland, and abroad. Dr. Al-Qadri is one of the leading Muslim figures in the West that promote an inclusive and plural society, and is a firm believer in interfaith and intra faith relations. As a Sunni Muslim scholar, he has attended many Shia Muslim gatherings and events as a speaker and penned the introduction to A Journey Together, A Muslim Christian Dialogue Resource (Cois Tine, Ireland). Dr. Al-Qadri promotes integration of Muslims in Ireland and has spoken on many public platforms and stressed the importance of integration of the Muslim community in the West. He has spoken against extremism within Islam and believes that it is his responsibility as a Muslim to contribute to a peaceful society and to fight against extremism. He has recently launched an anti radicalisation website www.jihad.info to promote the true concept of Jihad and stop Muslim youth from radicalising.
Tomi Reichental is an engineer, author and human rights activist. He was the subject of a one hour documentary entitled I was a Boy from Belsen directed by the Emmy award-winning producer Gerry Gregg. His second film Close to Evil, also directed by Gregg, had its premiere at the 25th Galway International film festival where the film earned the 2nd place in documentary feature. In 2012 Reichental was awarded the ‘Order of Merit’ by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, for his untiring commitment to furthering mutual understanding, reconciliation and German-Irish friendship. He has also received a Global Achievement Award and was the recipient of the 2014 ‘International Person of the Year’ Award. Reichental is the author of I was a Boy in Belsen and is currently working on his second book.
This event is proudly supported by The Fulbright Commission, The Irish Fulbright Alumni Association & The American Embassy