Catastrophe by Samuel Beckett and Mistake by Václav Havel reminded us of human beings under duress, games of power, and modelling strategies of resistance. Both plays were performed by students and staff of the Department of Drama and School of Creative Arts. According to Nicholas Johnson, director of Samuel Beckett Theatre and co-director of the plays, “Their resonance with today’s events does not fade”. 

Bill Shipsey, director of Art for Human Rights, shared his personal experience and relationship with Václav Havel. He also described Havel’s visit to Dublin in 2003 when he received the first Amnesty International Award ‘Ambassador of Conscience’ and met with Seamus Heaney. For Bill’s lifelong dedication to defending human rights and promoting the legacy of Václav Havel, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Mr. Jan Lipavský, awarded him the Medal ‘For Merit in Diplomacy’. The medal was presented to Bill by Jan Marian, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

At the end of the evening, Dan Monaghan read Seamus Heaney’s Laudation on Václav Havel, which was performed in 2003 in the Abbey Theatre at Amnesty’s Awards. 

Czech and Irish musicians performed Czech and Irish songs by Kateřina García, Jonathan Tennant and Aleš Bajgart. The Embassy is pleased that we could present our special guest, Pepa Janíček, a band leader of a famous underground rock band 'The Plastic People of the Universe'. The Czechoslovak communist regime repeatedly persecuted members of the band. Their imprisonment in 1976 was one of the momentums, which led Václav Havel and others to write Charter 77. 

The evening's moderator was Dr. Jana Fischerová, a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin. She recently received the ‘Gratias Agit’ award for her dedication and passionate effort in teaching the Czech language, culture, and history in Ireland. 

 

We thank our sponsor

Bohemia Sekt

for its contribution to the event.