Dr. Martin Mansergh:

I was in Philadelphia this autumn and gave three addresses; one was just the launch of an exhibition but I certainly brought out some connections. It was hosted by the Museum of the American Revolution with people from the Irish revolution such as Austin Stack going to visit Valley Forge and so on. There are definite connections. Brendan O'Leary is a leading historian from the university in Philadelphia who has just produced three volumes on the more recent Troubles. I am reading a book from the National Library, Maurice Bric's Ireland, Philadelphia and the Re-invention of America. That is about the late 18th century. One can make the connections from then through to the Irish revolution. I find the points of comparison that could be made between the two revolutions very stimulating and that is what I was speaking on at the conference in Philadelphia.