MacGill Summer School honours founding member, Joe Mulholland

Founding Director Joe Mulholland was honoured at this year’s MacGill Summer School.

In 1981, Joe was instrumental own founding the MacGill Summer School, which has been described by the Irish Times as ‘a seminar worthy of Harvard, Yale or Oxbridge’.

A special presentation, a painting by Johnny Boyle of Joe’s beloved St John’s Point, was made on Thursday night.

“His passion for literature art and informed debate has so enriched all our lives,” Michael Gallagher, the Chairman of the MacGill Summer School, said.

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“Over 40 years ago Joe’s interest in the writings of Patrick MacGill led him to investigate what had happened to this once well-known writer from Glenties.

“Joe ended up convincing Patrick’s daughters to come visit for the MacGill Festival, at which Joe told the fascinating story of Patrick MacGill. The MacGill Festival morphed into the MacGill Summer School, a major forum for topics of national and international interest.”

Mr Mulholland, a former head of television at RTÉ, also played a part in enabling the old courthouse in Glenties to be leased to the Brian Friel Trust CLG, who will use it as a visitor centre.

A floral presentation was also made to his wife, Annie.

Mr Mulholland said he was ‘very touched’ by the reaction and the presentation.

“Of course, art has been one of my several interests in life,” he said. “Johnny Boyle is a wonderful artist and is not recognised enough.

I have enjoyed all my life organising, whether it was organising students in France to plays like (Seán) O’Casey’s The Shadow of A Gunman or The Playboy of the Western World.”

He recalled how he had been born to a ‘rather poor working class family’ in the Twin Towns. Throughout his life, he said he had followed his ‘instinct’.

On The MacGill Summer School, he said: “I was born to a rather poor working class family in Stranorlar and Ballybofey. These things, they are there somewhere. You follow your instincts.

“I am delighted to have met so many fantastic people at this school, people who are interested in Ireland, interested in creating a better society, interested in equality and inequality. I thank you dearly, all of you.”

In 2018, he reversed a decision to step down from his role and as he stepped off the stage on Thursday, he added: “Mind you, I’m not about to give up!”