Nicola Sturgeon to deliver Annual Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture at University College Cork

6 Mar 2026

• Former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon will address her time in office, the fight for Scottish independence and the challenges of being a woman in a high-stakes political arena.
• Her experience at the highest levels of government offers UCC Government and Political Science BSc students and Arts-Politics BA students the chance to engage with a leader who has navigated major national challenges.

University College Cork (UCC) will welcome Nicola Sturgeon on Monday, 9 March when she will deliver the 26^th Annual Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture.

Nicola Sturgeon, the first woman and longest-serving First Minister of Scotland, was a defining figure in Scottish and UK politics during a decade shaped by Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and a period that saw five different UK prime ministers. Elected First Minister in November 2014, she led Scotland until March 2023.

Her lecture will explore her career in politics and public service, as outlined in her 2025 acclaimed memoir, Frankly.

The lecture will take place at 12 noon on Monday, 9 March in the Aula Maxima, UCC. Advance registration is required, email Government@ucc.ie.

Before becoming First Minister, Ms Sturgeon served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party and played a central role in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign. As a senior figure in the Yes campaign, she helped bring Scotland to the brink of independence, leading the national conversation on constitutional change and Scotland’s future.

Born in Irvine in 1970, she joined the SNP at 16 and has been active in public life ever since. A qualified solicitor, she worked at Drumchapel Law Centre before being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a representative for Glasgow. She later won the Glasgow Govan constituency in 2007 and subsequently represented Glasgow Southside.

The annual lecture is hosted by UCC’s Department of Government and Politics in memory of Philip Monahan, Ireland’s first local authority manager. Monahan served as City Commissioner and later City Manager in Cork from 1924 to 1959, shaping the development of modern public administration in Ireland. Established in 1997, the lecture series has welcomed a wide range of distinguished national and international speakers.

Dr Aodh Quinlivan, UCC Department of Government and Politics, said: “We are honoured to welcome Nicola Sturgeon to UCC to deliver this year’s Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture. As one of the most prominent political leaders in Europe in recent years, her experience at the highest levels of government offers a unique opportunity for UCC’s Government and Political Science BSc students and Politics students to engage directly with a leader who has navigated complex constitutional, social and economic challenges. It promises to be an insightful and thought-provoking occasion.”

The Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture is a key event in the academic calendar and reflects UCC’s long-standing commitment to informed public debate and the study of politics and public administration.

Event details

The lecture will take place at 12:00 noon in the Aula Maxima, UCC on Monday, 9 March.

The event is free of charge, but prior registration is required. Email Government@ucc.ie.