In the News..

The Mary Robinson Centre and University of Galway, along with partner Mayo County Council, will host the third Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference. The conference will bring together climate justice advocates, scientists, activists, community groups and policymakers to address local, national and global challenges and opportunities in relation to climate justice and nature conservation. Centering on the theme “Courage in Crisis”, the annual conference will take place in Ballina, Co Mayo, on May 26th and 27th where the former president grew up, and where the new Mary Robinson Centre is located.             Mary Robinson said: “The Mary Robinson Nature and Climate Conference will centre on a call to courage in the face of the climate and nature crisis, a crisis that touches every part of our shared world. In these urgent times, it is through meitheal, the Irish tradition of coming together in collective effort, that we find strength, purpose and hope. Only by standing together can we meet this moment with the boldness it demands. I’m looking forward to being in community in my hometown of Ballina, imagining together what each of us can do to build a better future.” Along with Mary Robinson, the conference will feature a distinguished lineup of Irish and international speakers including: Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, DCU; Anja Murray, ecologist, policy analyst, broadcaster and author; Dearbhla Richardson, youth climate justice activist; Dr Elaine McGoff, An Taisce; Dr Gerard McCarthy, physical oceanographer and climate scientist; Professor Hannah Daly, UCC; Professor John Barry, Queens University Belfast; Professor Navjot Bhullar, University of Canberra, Australia; Tom Arnold, Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee; Dr Omnia El Omrani, Global Climate and Health Alliance; and Laura Cook, Project Dandelion. The conference will feature a diverse range of workshops, panel discussions, walks, music and art, and aims to create space for people to connect, share ideas, and collaborate, with several of the conference events open to the public.              Dr Caitríona Carlin, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute at University of Galway and conference co-chair, said: “It was uplifting to hear Mary Robinson recognise the interconnections between climate and biodiversity, when she changed the name of the conference to climate and nature in 2024. This is the first year that the conference formally addresses climate and nature and we are grateful to the funders and sponsors who have supported us. The conference enables us to acknowledge that actions for climate, for nature are also for us. We are part of the environment, and in finding common ground, we can make space for courageous conversations and actions to meet the multiple challenges ahead.”             Dr Sinéad Sheehan, School of Psychology and Ryan Institute, University of Galway and conference co-chair, said: “This year, while we are bringing the conference to Ballina, we also want to bring Ballina to the conference! There’s a great programme of events planned around the conference, including an art exhibition at the Mary Robinson Centre, a 'Connecting With Trees' walk in Belleek Woods on Sunday, and an eco-gathering on Tuesday featuring groups working on climate and nature. We’re also looking forward to a special ‘Oíche Cultúr agus Craic’ on Monday night with music, poetry and storytelling – it should be a brilliant few days for Ballina and the wider community.”             Dr Alma Clavin, Lecturer in Sustainability at University of Galway and conference co-chair, said: “This conference creates a necessary courageous space for those activated in climate and nature work to connect with each other and new ideas. The conference is taking place in a county that has a fantastic network of community-led climate and sustainability initiatives and a distinctive biodiversity-rich landscape. We’re delighted to host this important conference in the town of Ballina, the birthplace of Mary Robinson, a global leader in climate justice.”             Keynote speaker, Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin said: "I am truly honoured and excited to be invited to speak at the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature conference in my home county of Mayo. There are wonderful examples of Nature being valued and protected across the county and I look forward to referencing these as positive stories of community impact. Mary Robinson has been such a wonderful role model for people across the world and it is a privilege to contribute to this conference celebrating her work and encouraging others to take on her message of urgency and hope with regards to Climate and the Environment."             Keynote speaker, Professor Hannah Daly said: “For decades, Mary Robinson has foregrounded the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis, bringing a moral urgency to global audiences like no other leader. It is a great privilege and honour to give a keynote address at this conference.” The conference is sponsored by University of Galway, the Sunflower Foundation, Mayo County Council, Eirgrid, Failte Ireland, FutureEnergy and IBP Insurance. The full conference programme, including the schedule of public events, is available at https://www.maryrobinsoncentre.ie/agenda.html. Ends

Analysis of over 70 spider venoms finds potency depends on a spider’s diet   A new study by researchers at the University of Galway’s School of Natural Sciences has revealed why some spiders possess venom that is far more potent than others. By analysing the venoms of more than 70 different spider species, the team explored whether factors such as body size, prey type, and hunting method, including the use of webs, could explain the wide variation in venom strength. The research was published today in the journal Biology Letters. While spiders are infamous for the widespread arachnophobia they induce for a multitude of reasons, including erratic movements, eight spindly legs, sticky webs, and most notably, their venomous bites, the actual effects can vary dramatically depending on the species. For instance, a bite from the Brazilian wandering spider can result in serious medical complications, whereas the venom of a giant house spider typically poses no threat to humans, raising the question, what drives such differences in venom potency? The researchers discovered that diet is one of the most important drivers influencing the potency of spider venom. They found that spider venoms are what is called prey-specific, meaning if a spider primarily hunts insects, its venom is likely to be particularly effective at killing insects in general, such as crickets and flies, but far less effective against other non-insect prey, like small mammals.             Lead author Dr Keith Lyons from University of Galway’s School of Natural Sciences, said: “Our results show that spider venoms have evolved to be especially potent when tested on animals found in their diet in the wild. This may explain why species that are known to occasionally prey upon small mammals, such as the Brazilian wandering spider or Black widow, have venoms that can cause medically significant effects in us humans, whereas species that only prey on invertebrates, such as the Giant house spider, have evolved venoms that target invertebrate physiologies rather than our own, posing little threat to us.” The researchers also tested whether the use of webs to capture prey was related to the potency or volume of a spider’s venom.             Dr Kevin Healy, Senior author and Head of the Macroecology lab at the University’s School of Natural Sciences, said: “We predicted that web-hunting spiders might have less potent venoms because they may have evolved to rely more on their webs to immobilise prey. Surprisingly, we found no relationship between whether a spider used their web and the potency of their venom, suggesting that webs are likely important for restraining prey in web-hunters, regardless of how deadly their venom is.             “This study helps us to understand the evolution of spider venoms and aids in our understanding of why some spiders, such as the Noble False widow become invasive species in some parts of the world, or how some venoms may be of particular interest for future drug discovery, or the development of pest species-specific, pollinator-friendly insecticides.”             Dr Michel Dugon, Head of the Venom Systems Lab, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “By understanding the fundamental drivers of venom evolution we can better predict the types of biomolecules in spider venoms that have yet to be explored for drug discovery and why some species of spiders are more likely to become invasive species.” Ends

The AtlanTec Festival 2025 is officially underway, celebrating innovation and technology in the west of Ireland. With a strong focus on AI and cybersecurity, the AtlanTec Festival Conference at University of Galway will take place on Thursday May 29th, and is set to attract over 400 delegates, including international speakers and representatives from leading technology companies. Now in its 11th year, the festival is led by the non-profit association itag (Innovation Technology AtlanTec Gateway) with the support of its sponsors, members and the technology community.  This year the packed programme of events - spanning more than two weeks - centres on the theme of ‘Shaping the Future of Technology Innovation’. Conference speakers, Johnathan McCrea of Whipsmart Media and Newstalk, Bronagh Riordan of EY, and Dr Bairbre McNicholas, Senior Lecturer at University of Galway and Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Galway University Hospitals, will discuss the role of AI and cybersecurity in their work. Short-form talks and use cases - ways in which a user interacts with a system or product, will follow from Fidelity, Cisco, Datavant, Accenture and CURIOSS. AI conference sessions will be led by Professor Michael Madden from the School of Computer Science at University of Galway and will feature a keynote from Gary Short of Darach AI, an AI/Machine Learning modelling company that allows you to make better business decisions by predicting the future. Cybersecurity conference sessions will be led by Seán Morris of Galway based cybersecurity company TitanHQ and will feature keynotes from Mark Power of Immersive Labs, a company helping the world’s largest organisations to be ready for the future of cyber threats, and Dr Mamoona Asghar from the School of Computer Science. Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “The festival enriches our collective expertise and allows us to engage with the vibrant technology community in our region, sparking valuable new connections. In addition, it highlights the West of Ireland as a major hub for excellence in innovation, technology, data and AI."  Caroline Cawley, CEO of itag, said: "Now celebrating its 11th year, AtlanTec continues to drive innovation, fostering collaboration that advances the technology sector across the region. It is more than just a festival - it builds community by connecting professionals, businesses, and visionaries, significantly enhancing talent development throughout the region.” During the conference, the recent winners of the AtlanTec AI Challenge hackathon will present their AI-driven solution to challenges in the healthcare domain. It aims to create AI solutions to address real-world challenges.  The two-week festival is anticipated to attract over 1,000 delegates from regional and national technology companies across Ireland. It serves as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and exploring collaborative opportunities between academia and industry.  The conference is brought to campus by the University of Galway Innovation Office, which is supported under the KT Boost Programme co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. For more information and to register for events, visit www.atlantec.ie Ends