President of Ireland Catherine Connolly with Provost Dr Linda Doyle.
President of Ireland Catherine Connolly, Provost Dr Linda Doyle, and members of the Hely-Hutchinson family, with colleagues representing the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies.
Guests at the Hely-Hutchinson Banquet in the Dining Hall of Trinity College Dublin.
Last night's celebration in the Dining Hall of Trinity College Dublin followed the 2026 Hely-Hutchinson Memorial Lectures and was the highlight of the School's year of celebrations commemorating 250 years since the establishment of Modern Languages at Trinity College in 1776.
Speaking at last night's event, President Catherine Connolly said:
In a world where language has been debased, stripped of meaning and reduced to its utilitarian functions, reclaiming the beauty of languages, in all their diversity, is an act of resistance, and a crucial first step in celebrating and championing our wonderfully diverse humanity.
Hely-Hutchinson Memorial Lectures
The Hely-Hutchinson Lectures honour the memory of Provost John Hely-Hutchinson who in 1776 established the Chairs in Modern Languages (German, French, Spanish and Italian), motivated by his desire to equip college graduates with language skills for foreign travel and cultural engagement. The 2026 Lectures were delivered by Yves Citton, Professor in Literature and Media at the Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint Denis, and German poet Ulrike Draesner.