Paddy Armstrong, wrongfully convicted member of the Guildford Four, and journalist Mary-Elaine Tynan will take part in an onstage discussion hosted by the Galway Innocence Clinic next week.
In 1975 Armstrong was one of four people wrongfully convicted of the Guildford pub bombings carried out by the Provisional IRA the year before.
He spent nearly 15 years in prison before the conviction was quashed after a long justice campaign.
Armstrong and Tynan have since collaborated on Life After Life: A Guildford Four Memoir, which was published two years ago.
The book is a nakedly honest and compelling exposure of Armstrong’s experience being wrongfully convicted, its crushing aftermath and the ultimate restoration of his life.
The two will discuss the book, and Paddy’s journey in a conversation with students in the Innocence Clinic at a public event on Tuesday, April 2 in the Aras Moyola Lecture Theatre.
The Innocence Clinic at NUIG is a fledgling initiative launched in September 2018 as a collaboration of the School of Law, Journalism Programme and Irish Centre for Human Rights under the guidance of Anne Driscoll, a visiting US Fulbright Scholar and award-winning journalist
Anne said the university is thrilled that Paddy has agreed to discuss his story with students in the Innocence Clinic and the wider community.
“There is an important role for both law and journalism in addressing the injustice of a wrongful conviction and we hope this programme will explore that very idea.”
“This special event is the culmination of a year of extraordinary exploration and learning by the law, journalism and human rights students who have participated in the Innocence Clinic.”
In the Innocence Clinic students learn about wrongful convictions, how and why they happen, as well as how to use journalism techniques and skills to investigate wrongful conviction cases.
They are now looking at historical cases of people who were wrongfully convicted in Ireland such as the Maamtrasna murders case.
Myles Joyce, who was wrongfully convicted and hanged in 1882, received the second posthumous presidential pardon in Irish history by President Michael D. Higgins on 4 April, 2018.
Students have been looking at the claims of innocence made by four other men who falsely pleaded guilty in the case – Myles’ brothers Martin, Patrick, and Patrick’s son Thomas Joyce, along with John Casey.
The event is free and open to the public but registration is required at Eventbrite here innocenceclinic.eventbrite.ie.
Life After Life: A Guildford Four Memoir will be available for sale and for signing by Paddy Armstrong and Mary-Elaine Tynan beginning at 5pm outside the Aras Moyola Large Lecture Theatre.
The programme will begin at 5:30pm followed by a reception afterwards.
