Dr John Sweeney of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (ICARUS) was the keynote speaker at a conference to mark the tenth anniversary of NUIM Kilkenny Campus. The conference took place on the 5th and 6th October in The Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle.

ICARUS was formed to research climate and climate change impacts with particular relevance to Ireland. These impacts are likely to have significance for key sectors such as water resources, agriculture and environmental planning and on a range of aspects which will impinge on peoples everyday life.

The unit is one of the largest dedicated climate change research and modeling centres in Ireland conducting both pure and applied research, covering all aspects of climate change from regional climate modeling to impact assessments on a variety of sectors. ICARUS is based in the Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth.

The theme of the Kilkenny conference was Agriculture in a Changing Climate and it examined the impact that climate change could potentially have on agriculture and looked at what opportunities and risks there might be for farmers.

Dr John Sweeney gave the keynote address on Friday evening at 7.30. His topic was Climate Change: Positioning Irish Agriculture for Adaptation and this was followed by a discussion chaired by Mary White TD.

On Saturday 6th, Dr Sweeney spoke on Water Resources: The Certainty of an Uncertain Future, and Alan Dukes addressed the issue of Climate Change and the politics of Agriculture.
Other Saturday speakers included Prof Liam Downey of NUI Maynooth on Agri-food Futures and Dr Rowan Fealy of ICARUS on Climate Change Likely Scenarios for Ireland .
Two local speakers considered the issue of Biofuels: Bernard Rice of Teagasc spoke on The Future of Biofuels and Michael Prendergast of Kilkenny Cereals on An Opportunity for Farmers: A Biofuel Producer s View.

Pictured at the Kilkenny Campus (NUI Maynooth) Tenth Anniversary Conference - Agriculture in a Changing Climate in the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle were, left to right: Bernard Rice, Crop Research Centre, Teagasc. Dr. Rowan Fealy, Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, NUI Maynooth, Margaret Irish, Conference Organiser for Kilkenny Campus, NUI Maynooth, Alan Dukes, Director General of the Institute of European Affairs and former Minister for Agriculture, Dr. John Sweeney, Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, NUI Maynooth, Billy Murphy, Chairperson, Kilkenny Campus Steering Committee and former Deputy CEO of Glanbia, Michael Prendergast, Kilkenny Cereals Ltd. Picture: Michael Brophy.

Pat O'Neill, (left) former CEO Avonmore and Billy Murphy, Chairman, Kilkenny Campus Steering Committee and former Deputy CEO Avonmore share a joke at the Kilkenny Campus (NUI Maynooth) Tenth Annivserary Conference - Agriculture in a Changing Climate in the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle. Picture: Michael Brophy.

Alan Dukes, Director General of the Institute of European Affairs and former Minister for Agriculture speaking on Climate Change and the politics of Agriculture at the Kikenny Campus (NUI Maynooth) Tenth Annivserary Conference - Agriculture in a Changing Climate in the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle. Picture: Michael Brophy.