Building connections within the MS community
Mary McCusker, National Services Development Coordinator with MS Ireland, said that while providing high-quality information is an important part of the conference, the opportunity for people to connect is equally important.
“The conference is really about providing good, high-quality information for the community around managing MS and symptom management, but crucially, it is also a really good opportunity for people to connect with each other,” she said. “That whole idea about building communities is really fundamental to what the conference aims to do.”
Mary said feedback from previous conferences has shown that attendees value being able to hear the latest information and research explained in clear and accessible language.
“People really value the opportunity to hear information delivered in a way that is easy to understand,” she said. “It is a really good opportunity to hear about what is happening in the MS space and there is always something you take away from that, giving yourself the space to learn something new that perhaps you weren’t aware of before.”
She added that one of the most important benefits is often the chance to meet other people who have similar experiences.
“That connection piece, I don’t think we can ever really understate it,” Mary said. “Sometimes people come to the conference and they’ve never been before. They may be coming on their own and they have a good experience because they get an opportunity to talk to other people who have similar experiences to themselves.”
Expert speakers and practical sessions
This year’s programme will explore a wide range of issues that can affect people living with MS, including brain health and ageing, mental health and wellbeing, cognition, nutrition, sexuality and relationships, self-care and support for family carers.
The keynote session, “The Long Game: Brain Health & Ageing in MS”, will be delivered by Consultant Neurologist Dr Andrew Lockhart of University Hospital Limerick. Dr Lockhart has a special interest in MS and his research has examined progressive MS and nerve cell loss.
Mental health will also be an important focus, with Dr Rebecca Maguire, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, leading a panel discussion on supporting mental health in people with MS. Dr Maguire is herself living with MS and her research focuses on the impact of chronic illness on individuals and their families.
Mary said the panel discussion is consistently one of the parts of the conference that resonates most strongly with attendees because it gives people living with MS an opportunity to speak openly about their own experiences.
“When we get feedback after the conference, it is typically the section or the segment that people remember. It really resonates with the community,” she said.
Research and expertise from the University of Galway
This year’s programme will also feature expertise from the University of Galway, with Dr Sinéad Hynes and occupational therapist Hannah Bergin presenting a session on cognition and its impact on daily life.
Dr Sinéad Hynes, Associate Professor and Head of Discipline of Occupational Therapy at the University of Galway, will be joined by occupational therapist Hannah Bergin for a session entitled “Targeting Cognition to Improve Daily Life”.
Their session will look at cognitive difficulties associated with MS and approaches that can help people manage their impact on everyday activities.
Mary said cognition is particularly relevant to the MS community and welcomed the inclusion of the University of Galway team in this year’s programme.
“Challenges with cognition would affect the majority of the community,” she said. “Dr Sinéad Hynes and Hannah Bergin are leading a lot of research in Ireland around cognition and supporting people to improve it, so we’re really excited to have them included in this year’s line-up.”
Conference attendees will also be able to choose from parallel sessions on sexuality and MS, self-care and connection, nutrition and resilience for family carers.
Speakers include Lucy O’Donovan, Clinical Specialist Dietitian in Community Neurorehabilitation; Ronah Corcoran-O’Reilly, Galway Support Manager with Family Carers Ireland; MS Ireland Information Officer Samantha McCarthy; and MS Ireland Regional Community Worker Mary Leonard.
A conference for the wider MS community
Mary stressed that the conference is not only for people living with MS. Family members, carers and others who support someone with MS are also encouraged to attend.
“There is a whole wider community connected to people living with MS,” she said. “We try to cater to our audience, which is wider than just the person living with MS.”
More than 11,000 people in Ireland are living with MS. MS Ireland provides information, support and specialist services to people living with MS and their families throughout the country.
Gala Dinner on Friday, 16 October
Ahead of the conference, MS Ireland will host an optional Gala Dinner at the Clayton Hotel Galway on Friday, 16 October at 7pm.
The event is being supported by MS Ireland’s voluntary branches in the Western region and will provide another opportunity for members of the MS community to meet and connect before the conference.
Mary described the Gala Dinner as a relaxed way for people to begin making connections ahead of the main event.
“It is a lovely occasion for people to come with friends, eat some nice food, relax, chat to people, maybe meet people they haven’t met before, and relax into what will be a really interesting event the following day,” she said.
Conference information and booking
The MS Ireland National Conference costs €30 per person, with the optional Gala Dinner costing an additional €45.
Date: Saturday, 17 October 2026
Time: 9.00am–4.45pm
Venue: Clayton Hotel Galway
Find Out More & Book Your Place
For enquiries, contact the MS Ireland Western Regional Office on (091) 768 630 or email nationalconference@ms-society.ie.