On 25 April 2026, the Irish College of GPs welcomed over 250 GPs from across the country to St Helen’s Hotel in Dublin for the Annual Conference. The event brought together members of GP community practicing in Ireland for a day of learning, and networking, featuring a strong programme of keynote presentations, focused clinical sessions and the presentations of important honours and awards.
Delegates arrived to an atmosphere of anticipation ahead of a full schedule of education, networking and discussion. The conference was officially opened by Conference Convenor Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, Medical Director, who welcomed attendees and outlined the breadth of content planned for the day. During the sessions attendees also heard from College leadership including Dr Deirdre Collins and Dr Nuala O’Connor.
Clinical Update and GP Practice Focused Sessions Support GPs in Practice
A key element of the conference is the presentation of focused clinical content designed to support GPs in everyday practice. Many of these sessions were delivered by College Clinical Leads, as they provided important updates from their clinical focus area. The conference also offered information to support GPs in their own practices.
Clinical and GP practice focused updates across the day included:
- Non Allergic Urticaria in Children. An approach to Diagnosis and Management
- Dr Aideen Byrne, Consultant Paediatric Allergist, Children’s Health Ireland
- Lower Urinary Tract symptoms in Males: A practical guide for GPs
- Dr David McConaghy, GP Clinical Lead Prevention
- HRT in Practice: Safe Prescribing and Troubleshooting
- Dr Ciara McCarthy, GP Clinical Lead Women’s Health
- Opioids and Opioid Use Disorder in Practice
- Dr Bernard Kenny, Director Addiction Management Primary Care, Irish College of GPs
- Adult ADHD rarely exists alone
- Dr Aoife O’Sullivan, GP Clinical Lead Mental Health
- Optimising CDM in your Practice
- Ms Rachel Bothwell, Founder & Director GP Practice Ally
Engaging Keynotes
The conference also provided attendees the opportunity to hear from two compelling keynote speakers who shared their expertise and perspectives. Professor Ian Robertson, Fellow Emeritus in Psychology at the Trinity Institute of Neurosciences, delivered Running a Brain Marathon. The final keynote was delivered by Dr Mike Ryan, former Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, who spoke powerfully on Preserving Health and Providing Health Care in a Fragile World. Both these keynotes inspired the attendees and prompted many interesting conversations throughout the day.
Reflecting on the programme, Dr Quinlan commented:
“I really enjoyed Professor Robertson speaking about evidence based strategies to sustain and promote wellbeing. The clinical content was focused and relevant. Mike Ryan gave a heartfelt presentation, raising important strategic issues about equity of access to healthcare.”
Awards and Honours
The Annual Conference is also an occasion to acknowledge excellence in general practice. The 2026 Quality & Safety in Practice (QSiP), Practice Review Award was presented to Dr Fiona Kelly of Haven Medical Centre, Castletownbere, Co. Cork. This award, sponsored by Medisec, recognises practical initiatives introduced by GPs that improve patient care, strengthen practice operations, or enhance teamwork. Projects may relate to practice management, clinical practice, information technology, or collaborative team approaches. Another prestigious award presented at the conference is The Dr Gertrude Ronan Foundation Award. This year the recipient was Dr Bríd Shanahan of Summerhill Family Practice in Dublin.
Following his keynote address, Dr Mike Ryan, former Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, was awarded Honorary Membership of the Irish College of GPs by Dr Nuala O’Connor, President. The honour recognised Dr Ryan’s exceptional contribution to health leadership.
A Memorable Day for the GP Community
The great weather was matched by the fantastic energy throughout the event. From the excellent keynotes and insightful clinical topic sessions to the award winners, networking opportunities and the sharing of ideas by attendees, the conference was widely regarded as a brilliant day for the GP community.
The Irish College of GPs extended its sincere thanks to all speakers, sponsors and contributors who helped make the Annual Conference 2026 a success.
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