President of Ireland Catherine Connolly with Provost Dr Linda Doyle.
President of Ireland Catherine Connolly and Provost Dr Linda Doyle (centre), with colleagues representing the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies (L-R): Dr Katerina García (Head of Hispanic Studies), Dr Clodagh Brook (Head of Italian), Dr Mícheál Hoyne (Head of Irish and Celtic Languages), Professor Jürgen Barkhoff (Pro-Chancellor of the University of Dublin), Professor Mary Cosgrove (Chair of German, 1776), Ulrike Draesner (author, invited speaker), Professor Yves Citton (invited speaker), Henry Hely-Hutchinson, Susan Hely-Hutchinson, Professor Michael Cronin (Chair of French, 1776), Dr Murat Şiviloğlu (Head of School), Dr Serena Vandi (Department of Italian), Dr Catherine Leen (Deputy Head of School), Dr Philip Tuxbury-Gleissner (Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies), and Zoë Coleman (Communications and Marketing Manager, SLLCS)
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.
Further information
- Read more about the celebrations on Trinity's homepage.
- Read the transcript of President Catherine Connolly's speech.
This event formed part of the 'Languages 250 at Trinity (1776-2026)' programme, throughout 2026, the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies is marking the 250th anniversary of the establishment of Modern Languages in Trinity College Dublin.