being Authentic in an a.i. world
I help leaders and creatives experiencing a loss of direction or identity, connect with their cultural community and craft an authentic story, to make purpose and find meaning with others.
Member Associations / Collaborating Organisations, Agencies and Corporations with Dr Liam Alex Heffron:
Snorkel A.I.
MAYO GAA
St Cormac’s Society
“Your insights on ... the importance of preserving local cultural traditions and heritage, and ... promoting participatory local democracy to enable local communities to build their own future were both enlightening and impactful.”
About Liam
Dr Liam A. Heffron speaking at the European Union Parliamentary Committee on Regional Development (REGI) on 9 April 2025
Dr Liam A. Heffron, M.A., Ph.D.
Drawing on his deep experience as an Actor, Writer, Historian and Inventor, Dr Liam Alex Heffron is an inspiring and motivating speaker and coach, who has worked with state agencies, creatives, non-profits, entrepreneurs and corporations. His work as an A.I. Expert Contributor in History and Acting Performance, alongside developing digital heritage tools, places him at the forefront of the new models of storytelling which are revolutionising how we understand our place in our shared human story.
Affiliations:
Member of the Irish Association of Professional Historians (IAPH)
Member of the UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association
Founder of St Cormac’s Society
Heritage Partner with Ancestry.com
Mayo GAA History Officer (2020-2024)
Member of Mayo County Council’s Corporate, Education, Culture, Heritage and Library Services Strategic Policy Committee (2019-2023)
Creative Momentum Regional Industry Advisory Group member - an EU transnational project to support the creative industries sector (2015-2018)
Following his first class honours M.A. at the University of Galway, Liam Alex was awarded a history Ph.D. for his pioneering research on the social causes of the local Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War. He has part-published his work in the books No Revolution: Igniting War in North Mayo, 1917-1923 and Spirit of Revolution, Ireland from below, 1917–1923.
Dr Heffron was one of the invited experts who spoke to the European Union Parliamentary Committee on Regional Development (REGI) on 9 April 2025, regarding ‘Depopulation Challenges in European Regions’. His research on building participatory democracy and self-sustaining communities, to mitigate or prevent indigenous cultural loss from current demographic changes, was warmly welcomed by the committee members.
Liam Alex has also provided content authenticity services for TV and film productions including the BBC’s Who do you think you are? and RTE’s The Battle for Rural Ireland’. As a founder of St Cormac’s (Heritage) Society, he has led efforts for the protection and promotion of local heritage in his native west of Ireland.
Aside from his academic interests, Dr Heffron is an experienced and trained actor, who recently experienced life imitating art, when playing the skeptical historian, Finbarr, in the award-winning movie Prospect House (2023) - his acting portfolio is more fully explored here. He also pens a weekly column in the Western People newspaper, repeated in his Substack blog, ‘Hollywood and Heffron’.
In a collaboration with Liam Alex, Ancestry.com is launching the largest online collection of historical Irish School Registers — for which work he was awarded the University of Galway Explore Campus Innovation award. In this Digital Humanities project, Dr Heffron managed the collection and digital archiving of over a million records from obsolete pupil registers from west of Ireland schools.
While Mayo GAA history officer he also founded the www.mayogaahistory living history project, to create an online repository for heritage records of GAA sports clubs and their supporters, in county Mayo, Ireland.
Finally, during his early years at technical college, Liam invented the patented GASEC toxic gas detection system which has saved several lives on farms from lethal hydrogen-sulphide gas poisoning — and is a whole other adventure in storytelling!
Talk topics
KEYNOTE
BEING THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN LIFE
In a world obsessed with spotlight and status, where social media and consumerism induces us to adopt a toxic ‘main character syndrome’ in our social interactions — Dr Liam Alex Heffron’s keynote flips the script and reminds us that the most powerful roles are often played off-centre stage.
Drawing on his experiences as an Irish actor, historian, and advocate, Liam shares how embracing the “supporting role” in families, communities and workplaces, leads to deeper impact, contentment, connection and effect.
This unique and inspiring talk is a call to action for those who want to lift others up, lead effectively and leave a proud and lasting legacy.
KEYNOTE
MAKING MEANING AND HOLDING YOU TO ACCOUNT
What if the past could speak — not just to inform, but to challenge us? In this thought-provoking keynote, Dr Heffron blends his work as a historian, actor and cultural commentator to explore how stories, records, and memories shape who we are — and what we owe to each other.
With wit and clarity, he examines how history can hold us accountable in the present, and how each of us can live lives of greater meaning, integrity, and responsibility.
This talk inspires audiences to connect the dots between legacy and action, while seeing through the modern paradigms of dogma and propaganda.
WORKSHOP
PRESERVING THE PAST FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
In this practical and inspiring workshop, historian and storyteller Liam Alex empowers participants to become active guardians of memory — learning how to uncover, preserve and share local and family history with clarity and care.
Drawing on his experience digitising over a million school records and heritage archives, Liam also introduces how A.I. tools can augment this work — making research faster, evaluation sharper, and dissemination more powerful. This is about using technology to serve truth, not distort it.
Whether a community researcher, educator, or passionate amateur, this workshop will give you the skills and the spark, to pass on the past with pride and purpose.
Testimonials
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“Your insights on ... the importance of preserving local cultural traditions and heritage, and ... promoting participatory local democracy to enable local communities to build their own future were both enlightening and impactful.”
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“A superb idea... I’m very impressed. The country needs more innovators like Liam.” — discussing technology and heritage solutions at WestBIC, Galway, 22 Nov 2013.
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“Your expertise, infectious enthusiasm and sense of fun contributed immensely to our ‘An American Story: Race. Amity and the Other Tradition’ seminar — and provided a great balance to the equally outstanding talks by William Smith and Don Mullan. Thank you for a night we are not likely to forget.”
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“…we had a dynamic and moving event and we are on the cusp of something lasting and important.” — joint-organiser of ‘A Call for Irish American Family Stories; Emigration, Separation and Resistance’ seminar.
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“Thank you very much for your help this evening [with your lecture on PJ Ruttledge TD, at the Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina] Kindest Regards. Dara”
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“Liam, Thank you for your time and all your work, its super appreciated on my end!... The show isn’t made without people like yourself.”
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“The Ballina Salmon Festival Heritage Day Seminar was a huge success… Thank you Liam for your wonderful talk and hosting the event, the audience loved it!”
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“It was an absolute pleasure to film with you [Liam] I think it is going to be a brilliant part of the documentary.”
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“Liam Alex Heffron provides an analytical review of the pre- and post-independence activities of its local republicans [i]n a fine piece of local history…”
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“Working with Liam was, and will continue to be, an exciting and emotional journey into our family’s past … I cannot recommend him highly enough.”
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“[Liam’s] depth of experience in historical research meant that it was fascinating to tease out fact from hearsay. This was done in a friendly way that was balanced and intriguing. His local knowledge is exceptional and his own enthusiasm was obvious…
He is a good communicator [and] enabled us to enjoy and see far more than we ever could have achieved on our own. He was able to share his knowledge of the people, countryside, properties and made the whole experience a great adventure for us.”
Let’s connect
Irish Prime Minister, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, connecting with Liam Alex.
For Acting related bookings contact:
Liam Alex Heffron is represented by Avalon Artists:
3435 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1160, Los Angeles, CA 90010 T: (323) 692-1700 |
225 West 35th Street, Suite 1701 New York, NY 10001 T: (212) 868-3200 |
For Speaking, Workshops & Coaching related queries, let’s schedule a Discovery Call:
Education:
Ph.D. History
University of Galway, Ireland
M.A. History (with first class honours)
University of Galway, Ireland
Dip. Electronic Engineering (with distinction)
Atlantic Technological University, Galway, Ireland
Publications:
‘Contested Space — The revolutionary intersection of land hunger, memory and social justice impulse, within a rural west of Ireland community’ (PhD - Galway University, 2023).
‘Moygownagh ‘C’ Co. IRA’ in Spirit of Revolution; Ireland from Below, 1917-1923 (Four Courts Press, 2023)
No Revolution: Igniting war in North Mayo, 1917-1923 (Mayo County Library, 2018)
The Tinker's Blade (Stage Play: An Taibhdhearc, Galway, 2006)
1798, The Year of the French (Stage Play: Galway Town Hall Theatre, 2008)
Journal Articles:
History Ireland, Saothar: Journal of Irish Labour History, The Vineyard: Killala Diocesan Newspaper, Cathair na Mart, Journal of the Westport Historical Society.