Page 21 - The 17th Percy French Festival: The Quest for Authenticity

Michael holds a PhD in philosophy from NUIG. A native of Stephen is a political columnist with the Irish Times and was pre-
Athlone where he was born into a business. He attended Univer - viously political editor of the newspaper for a decade. He was
sity in Galway, and post graduate training in Counselling Psy - educated at Oatlands College, Stillorgan, and later at UCD where
chology at University College Cork. He has written several books he graduated with an MA in Politics. He started as a journalist

in the genre of psy chology/personal devel opment and was with the Irish Press group and was political correspondent of the
elected Fellow of the Irish Institute of Train ing and Develo pment. Sunday Press and later the Sunday Tribune before moving to the
For several years he served on the national executive of the Irish Irish Times. He has written a number of books about Irish political
Association of Addiction Coun sel ling. In addition to his work in history, including The Power Game: Ireland Under Fianna Fail,

the field of Psychology he has more recently engaged with formal (2002); Breaking the Mould: How the PDs changed Irish Politics
train ing in political philosophy receiving both Master’s and Doc- (2006); and Saving the State: Fine Gael from Collins to Varadkar
torate degrees in this field. His recent book The Path to Mass Evil: (2020). His most recent book, Ireland’s Call: How Brexit Got Done,
Hannah Arendt and Totalitarianism Today, (2023, Routledge, New was published last year.
Dr Michael Hardiman York) is currently avail able within the academy worldwide and his Stephen Collins
new book, Misled? How Ideology Captures Your Mind, is now avail -
able to general read ership. Michael lives in Galway where he
works as a psychologist and edu cator with a private counselling
Laoise grew up on a farm in Co. Carlow. After studying law at TCD
prac tice. He also pre sents seminars and work shops nation wide
she worked in London making TV documentaries for Channel 4
to family centres and to adult educa tion services.
and the BBC and has worked as a producer and reporter for ITV.
For her MA thesis on the reporting of the Troubles she inter view ed
ex-combatants, journalists and politicians including the late Mar-

Stephen is a prominent, philosopher and psychoanalyst. tin McGuinness. She was called to the Bar in 2022. She found ed
He is the founder of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland and The Countess in 2019, an organisation that has gained prominence
a cer tified Enneagram coach. He is the author of 16 books. He was over its advocacy on the 2015 Gender Recognition Act. Her cam-
educated in St Gerard’s School, Castleknock College, University paign ‘These Words Belong To Us’ stopped the government remov-
College Dublin (where he read philosophy and Spanish language ing the word ‘woman’ from maternity legislation. She led a grass-
and literature) and Trinity College Dublin (where he trained in roots campaign that delivered the historic defeat of the Referen-
psychoanalysis). He has addressed two parliaments: the Stormont dums on the family and Care. She campaigned successfully
Assembly on human rights and the European Parliament in Brus- Laoise de Brún against the hate speech element of the hate crime bill and the
sels on meaning and mental health. Dr Costello has over 30 years’ indoctrination of children into gender ideology in the classroom.
experience, giving lec tures, talks, seminars, and workshops to
individuals and companies in Ireland, the UK, the USA, Austria,
and Switzerland (at the C.G. Jung Institute). His recent publi ca - Michael ws born 1953. He is the author f two novels, Priest and
Dr Stephen J Costello tions include Dynamics of Discern ment (Pickwick Publications, The Trouble with Sarah Gullion, and numerous theatre works

2022), Ignatian Mysticism (James Clarke, 2024), and The Alchemy including: Strawboys; Una Pooka; Misogynist; Hubert Murray’s
of Addiction (Routledge, 2024). Widow; Sour Grapes; and Amazing Grace (all with the Abbey
Theatre), and over ten plays for other companies. He has been
awarded the Stewart Parker Award for Theatre, The Bank of
Úna was born in Co Louth close to the Border. She is a St Louis Ireland RTÉ award for excel lence in the arts and The Hennessy
Sister, Professor Emerita of Milltown Institute, Dublin, Spirituality Award for short stories. He has been Writer in Association with
Dept. In 2004 she was a founder member of AISGA, (All-Ireland The National Theatre in 1993 and he was short-listed for the
Spiritual Guidance Association), and has, since 2006, been a mem - Irish Times/Aer Lingus Literature Award in 1989. In 2000 he was
ber of Spiritual Directors in Europe. Her research interests include Writer Fellow at Trinity College Dublin and he was nominated
spirituality of the stages of life and the intersection between litera- for the Jane Snow Award for Theatre writing in 2003. He has also
ture and spirituality. Her special emphasis has been on the work Michael Harding explored connections between theatre and performance art.
of the poet Patrick Kavanagh. Author of The Mystical Imagination He was nominated for Best Male Performer, at the Dublin Theatre
of Patrick Kavanagh (Columba Press, 1998) and relaunched by Fringe Festival, 2002, and he was the overall winner of Best Male
Veritas, Dublin in 2019. Her Love’s Doorway to Life: An Alternative Performer Award at Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. His eight books
Biography of Patrick Kavanagh, with her brother Art, was published of memoirs, chron icles of ordinary life in Ireland, which have been
as a triple CD in 2017 (Eist, Audio Productions, Dublin), number one best sellers, and recip ients of numerous awards. He
PROF. Una B Agnew continues to perform in theatre, film, and one-man shows based
on his writings. His most recent memoir, I loved him from the day
he died, was published in 2024. He is a member of Aosdána.

•18 • THE P ERCY FRENCH FESTIVAL 2025 THE QUEST FOR AUTHENTICIT Y •19 •