© James G. Howes 1992 Out in the countryside, with a menagerie of dogs, cats, and horses, lives the last scion of a circus empire. I took the train to Ballinasloe, watching as an early sunset lit the horizon gold at the edge of the overcast clouds, to meet John Ringling North II. Born in Sarasota, Florida in 1940, John is an elderly gentleman with blue jeans, … [Read more...] about “The greatest show on earth”: last of the Ringling name reflects on a lifetime in the circus world
Ukrainian resilience: five ambassadors on Ukraine and Europe
Image from Unsplash On the third anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, University of Galway hosted a roundtable conversation with five ambassadors from the region, chaired by Dr Brendan Flynn of the School of Political Science and Sociology and Dr Róisín Healy of the School of History and Philosophy. The discussion covered several aspects of the war, … [Read more...] about Ukrainian resilience: five ambassadors on Ukraine and Europe
University to hold event on Donald Trump’s second term and impacts on Europe
The School of History and Philosophy will host five talks, open to the public, on Donald Trump’s second presidency and its implications for Europe. The event will take place on Tuesday, 25 March, HBB B001 Small Lecture Theatre – Human Biology Building, from 4 to 6 p.m. Titled “Hey EU! What does Trump’s second presidency mean for the European Community”, the panel will … [Read more...] about University to hold event on Donald Trump’s second term and impacts on Europe
America is no ‘beacon of democracy’. But it could be.
Image from Unsplash I have to imagine that almost anyone reading this would scoff if I were to take the position that America is currently anything other than a beacon of inequality and injustice; a playground of powerful men with no regard for the citizens who keep their empires growing. I was born in a time of hope, at the end of the Bush era and the beginning of … [Read more...] about America is no ‘beacon of democracy’. But it could be.
“You expect violence everywhere”: American students in Galway on how political violence has shaped us, and what comes next
Image by Gráinne Greene There is nowhere quite so American as the crossroads of vision and violence. Young people in the States have come of age in a period of increasing polarisation and near-constant danger: as schoolchildren, as girls, as LGBTQ+ people, as people of colour. I crossed the Atlantic to find some breathing space; but we don’t leave home behind when we leave … [Read more...] about “You expect violence everywhere”: American students in Galway on how political violence has shaped us, and what comes next