The Irish Influence Building the League of Nations, ILO by Gerry Finnegan
Event
31 October 2023The IIEA Brussels and Embassy of Ireland are delighted to invite you to join us on Thursday 16 November with author Gerry Finnegan who will present his new book, The Irish Influence: Building the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization.
This will be an in-person event at the Embassy of Ireland to Belgium (Rue Froissart 50, 1040 Brussels) and will start promptly at 19.00. You are encouraged to register early for the event; places are limited. Priority will be given to IIEA members; subscriptions can be reviewed as part of the registration process.
This book presentation is a showcase of Gerry Finnegan’s knowledgeable and entertaining book which tells the life story of two Irishmen, who shaped the multilateral system in Geneva. Seán Lester was the representative of Ireland in the League of Nations and its last Secretary -General (1940- 1946). Edward Phelan, the “first international civil servant”, led the ILO as its fourth Director-General from 1941 to 1948. In the 1930s, they became friends in Geneva, the heart of international diplomacy at the time. They not only contributed through their respective organisations to peace building and social justice, but also promoted the cause of the young Irish nation in the international arena. The richly illustrated book with prefaces by the President of Ireland and the former ILO Director-General Guy Ryder is based on extensive archival research. It skillfully weaves together biography, national and international history.