An Evening with Martin Mansergh and Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall Discussing “The American Revolution and Ireland,” Oct. 1

Event Includes Access to Museum’s Cost of Revolution Special Exhibition

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., the Museum of the American Revolution will host a special evening presentation featuring Dr. Martin Mansergh in conversation with Ambassador of Ireland to the United States Daniel Mulhall. They will discuss the influence of the American Revolution and the Irish Revolution of 1798 on Ireland’s path to independence, and their relevance to today. 

Dr. Mansergh is a collateral descendant of Richard St. George, the subject of the Museum’s special exhibition Cost of Revolution. He also is a historian and former Irish political adviser who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement. Ambassador Mulhall served as a member of the Secretariat of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (1994-95) and was part of the Irish Government's delegation at the time of the Good Friday Agreement 1998. Craig Snyder, President & CEO of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, will introduce Dr. Mansergh and Ambassador Mulhall.

“We are delighted to bring such distinguished Irish voices to Philadelphia to explore the intertwined histories of Ireland and America, and to reflect on the legacy of our shared revolutionary heritage for the world today,” said Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution. “This event perfectly complements our special exhibition Cost of Revolution, which brings together significant artifacts and works of art from three continents to tell the dramatic, personal story of an ill-fated Irish soldier who found himself repeatedly on the wrong side of history.”

Prior to and following the talk, guests are invited to view the Museum’s first international loan exhibition, Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier, which will be on view from September 28, 2019 – March 17, 2020. This special exhibition follows the untold story of Richard Mansergh St. George, an Irish artist and officer in the British Army, whose personal trauma and untimely death provide a window into the entangled histories of the American Revolution of 1776 and the Irish Revolution of 1798. The exhibition will include treasures from Ireland’s 18th-century revolutionary history on display in America for the very first time, including Wolfe Tone’s bloodstained wallet from the National Museum of Ireland.

Tickets are $125 and include access to the Museum’s Cost of Revolution special exhibition, the talk, and receptions prior to and following the event. Proceeds will go to support the Museum’s exhibition program. Tickets can be purchased here.

The honorary event committee for this event includes Governor Edward G. Rendell; Honorary Chair State Representative Mike Driscoll; Charles E. Hopkins; Marita Krivda Poxon; Kevin Kent, Esquire; Honorable James Murray Lynn; Joseph S. Martz; Edward D. McBride; and Kathleen M. Sullivan.

About Martin Mansergh
Martin Mansergh is Vice-Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations. Between 2002 and 2011, he was a Fianna Fáil Senator, then TD (for Tipperary South), and from 2008 Minister of State for OPW, Finance and the Arts. He was a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body till then, and of President Mary McAleese’s second Council of State. Former diplomat, then political advisor to Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds, and Bertie Ahern, he was a back-channel to the Republican Movement, and contributed to the negotiation of the Downing Street Declaration and the Good Friday Agreement. He is author of The Legacy of History for Making Peace in Ireland, and co-winner of the 1994 Tipperary Peace Prize with Fr. Alec Reid and Rev. Roy Magee. He has in the past been a columnist with the Sunday Business Post, the Irish Times, and now the Irish Catholic. He received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland in October 2017, and was elected in March 2018 to membership of the Royal Irish Academy. A biography by Kevin Rafter was published by New Island Books in 2002. He was educated at King's School Canterbury and Christ Church Oxford, where he graduated in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and subsequently gained a doctorate after research into 18th century pre-revolutionary French history. Son of Tipperary-born historian of Anglo-Irish and Commonwealth Relations Nicholas Mansergh and his wife Diana, he is married to Elizabeth (née Young), and they have four daughters and one son.

About Daniel Mulhall, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States
Daniel Mulhall was born and brought up in Waterford, Ireland. He pursued his graduate and post-graduate studies at University College Cork where he specialized in modern Irish history and literature. He took up duty as Ireland's 18th Ambassador to the United States in August 2017. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and had his early diplomatic assignments in New Delhi, Vienna (OSCE), Brussels (European Union) and Edinburgh where he was Ireland's first Consul General, 1998-2001. He served as Ireland's Ambassador to Malaysia (2001-05), where he was also accredited to Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. From 2009 to 2013, he was Ireland's Ambassador to Germany. Before arriving in Washington, he served as Ireland's Ambassador in London (2013-17). In 2017, he was made a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his work as Ambassador. In December 2017, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Liverpool. During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Mulhall has also held a number of positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including as Director-General for European Affairs, 2005-2009. He also served as a member of the Secretariat of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (1994-95). From 1995-98, he was the Department's Press Counsellor and in that capacity was part of the Irish Government's delegation at the time of the Good Friday Agreement 1998. Ambassador Mulhall maintains a keen interest in Irish history and literature. He is the author of A New Day Dawning: A Portrait of Ireland in 1900 (Cork, 1999) and co-editor of The Shaping of Modern Ireland: A Centenary Assessment (Dublin, 2016). A keen advocate of public diplomacy, Ambassador Mulhall makes regular use of social media in order to provide insights into the work of the Embassy, to promote all things Irish and to engage with Irish people and those of Irish descent around the world. He provides daily updates on his Twitter account @DanMulhall and posts regular blogs on the Embassy's website.

About Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier
Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier explores the untold story of Richard St. George, an Irish soldier and artist whose personal trauma and untimely death provide a window into the entangled histories of the American Revolution and the ensuing Irish Revolution of 1798. The exhibition will chronicle St. George’s dramatic journey with more than 100 artifacts, manuscripts, and works of art from Australia, Ireland, England, and the United States, many of which will be on display in America for the first time. It will also present one of the largest collections of objects from Ireland’s 18th-century revolutionary history and war for independence ever displayed in Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.amrevmuseum.org/exhibits/special-exhibitions.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and digital touchscreens bring to life the diverse array of people who created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.