Welcome
The 2010 Richard Cantillon School took place at Siamsa Tíre in Tralee on the 8th, 9th and 10th September last – attendees were a mix of general public, business people, economists, representatives from the educational sector, local development agencies, academic experts, students, media representatives and public sector organisations, all gathered together to celebrate the contribution of Richard Cantillon, born in Kerry in the 17th century and recognised internationally as the founding father of modern economics. The event delivered a national profile of top class experts and panellists who focussed on topics that related to the Irish economy, the role of entrepreneurship in society, European comparative models around the supports to entrepreneurial thinking and the Irish banking crisis. The backdrop of the current Irish economic crisis was referenced throughout. The School was followed by local, national and international media over the course of the three days and is destined to become an international event. The social and convivial aspects of the School were well enjoyed. The buttermilk and brandy flowed in Ballyheigue, and a great sharing of ideas between experts and audiences took place informally at the Banquet Dinner in Ballygarry House Hotel in Tralee on the Thursday evening of the School. The foyer of Siamsa Tíre and the B Bar in the Brandon Hotel became the unofficial conference club throughout where our audiences relaxed, stayed longer and mixed some more. A special thank you to the host organisations, the speakers, facilitators, panellists, and suppliers of services to the 2010 School. It’s back to the drawing board now in terms of evaluating the work that took place this year with a view to making the event even stronger next year. New insights and suggestions for economic and entrepreneurial development which were made public at the School will be accredited to source and relayed in a White Paper report which is currently in progress. Information on accessing the report and its publication date will be available on this site in the near future. Deirdre Johnston, Fruition on behalf of Richard Cantillon School 1st October 2010 .
Photo Gallery
Click here to view the 2010 photo gallery.
Entrepreneur
Acclaimed as the “father of modern economics” Cantillon was a “Gallicised merchant, banker and adventurer who wrote the first treatise on economics more than four decades before the publication of the Wealth of Nations.”
Most famous for his ‘Essay on the Nature of Commerce in General’ or ‘Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en General’ which was written in French in the early 1730s, but not published until 1755, some years after his death. The Essai, comprises of three major parts, which have been characterised by Frederick A. Hayek as: On Wealth or Production, On Exchange, On International Trade. Download the full <a href="Richard Cantillon School Final 2010.pdf" target="_blank">Programme for the Richard Cantillon School 2010</a> (PDF).
It is in the first part of the Essai that the first known source of the term ‘entrepreneur’ is found. Cantillon describes an entrepreneur as having a distinct function apart from wage earners and people hired for labour. In Cantillon’s writing entrepreneurs were responsible for bringing about competition and the decentralisation of markets through the application of entrepreneurial decision-making and risk-taking.
Richard Cantillon spent most of his life in France as a wealthy Paris banker and London merchant. He spent some time in London during his early career where he was an Assistant to the British Paymaster James Brydges. It is believed that this is where he became skilled in accounting, negotiating, banking and international finance. He died in a fire at his home in London, allegedly set by his discharged cook.
The Richard Cantillon Recognition Award
The Cantillon Medal is awarded annually to an individual who develops or displays outstanding research and knowledge in the fields of economics and/or entrepreneurship. The Award provides an opportunity for the organisers of the School to honour an individual whose outstanding research and knowledge in those fields has provided for this country an invaluable insight. For his understanding of the significance of Richard Cantillon as the great pioneer in modern economic and entrepreneurial thinking. Ireland’s first recipient of the Cantillon Medal went to Professor Antoin E Murphy for his pioneering research and publication Richard Cantillon: Entrepreneur & Economist (Oxford University Press, 1986)
2010 Proceedings of the Cantillon School
The second Richard Cantillon School will take place at Siamsa Tíre, Town Park in Tralee County Kerry from September 8th to the 10th this year. Richard Cantillon School is an initiative of North and East Kerry Development and Kerry County Enterprise Board. It also receives supports from Southwest Regional Authority, Shannon Development and local interest groups. Seminar Partners in 2010 include ECSB (European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) and INTRE (Ireland’s Network of Teachers and Researchers in Entrepreneurship).