UN’s Tom Fletcher delivers 2026 Henry Grattan Lecture in London
Posted on: 23 April 2026
Immigration, international order and the moral responsibilities of citizenship took centre stage at Trinity’s annual Grattan Lecture at the Embassy of Ireland in London.
The 2026 Henry Grattan Lecture was delivered by the UN's Tom Fletcher this week at the Embassy of Ireland in London, bringing together Trinity alumni, friends of the College, diplomats and members of the media for an evening of reflection and connection.
Mr. Fletcher began his remarks with an intimate story that spoke powerfully to the enduring ties between Ireland and Britain. A century ago, his English grandfather sailed back to Liverpool after falling in love that Easter with his Irish grandmother. Mr. Fletcher recently discovered decades of their correspondence, including a letter written by his grandfather at the age of 22. As his grandfather looked back towards a lighthouse where he knew his grandmother would be watching his ship slip beyond the horizon, he wrote “never think of the Irish Sea as something that divides us, but as something that connects us.”
Drawing on first-hand experience in Gaza, Darfur, Kabul, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, he offered a stark assessment of the moment in which we live. Mr. Fletcher cautioned that the world is approaching “an age of migration at a level never seen before.” Invoking Henry Grattan himself, he reminded guests that those who suffer are “not the other, but a part of us.”
For millions of people, he argued, the international order is not on the cusp of collapse, it has already collapsed. “What we are going through right now is not a drill,” he said, urging honesty about the scale of global upheaval and the need for renewed seriousness in public life. He called on each guest to become part of a “movement of great ancestors,” grounded in solidarity, curiosity, and kindness.
Mr. Fletcher brought hope and optimism to such a serious and significant topic. He encouraged guests to look for everyday hope, rooted in raising children well, caring for strangers, and leaving the world “in slightly better shape than we got it”. In uncertain and dangerous times, he noted that choosing humanity, connection and moral ambition is itself an act of leadership.
About the Grattan Lecture Series:
The Henry Grattan Lecture series is an initiative of Trinity’s School of Social Sciences and Philosophy and has been hosted in London since 2013. The series serves as a powerful reminder of the College’s commitment to public debate, ethical leadership and international engagement. Past speakers include former UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Miliband, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University Professor Louise Richardson, former Taoiseach Mr John Bruton, EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, former President of Ireland Mary McAleese and Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank, among others.