For the leaders, councils and enterprises shaping the future of Ireland’s towns and regions
Two days of events on delivering Ireland’s Green & Digital Transition
Business - Energy - Travel - Infrastructure - Skills - Green + Environment
June 24th and 25th, Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire
Dargan Forum Main Event - Delivering Ireland’s Green & Digital Transition
The Dargan Forum Main Event, hosted by Eoin K Costello, takes place on 25th June in the Carlisle Room of the Royal Marine Hotel, bringing together speakers from government, business, health, transport, and renewable energy to explore how technology is delivering Ireland's twin green and digital transition.
Across an Official Opening and three themed sessions — Sustainability, Resilience and Prosperity — the Forum examines how technology is empowering economic development, building systemic resilience across the built environment, healthcare, public services and business, and translating green and digital strategies into tangible regional growth.
Speakers:
Host: Eoin Killian Costello, Dargan Institute
Session 1 — Opening keynote is: Annalise Murphy, SportsKey
Session 2 — Sustainability will include: Frank Curran, DLR County Council; Maurice Murphy, Amgen; June Butler, Bank of Ireland; Professor Martin Curley, Maynooth University
Our second keynote will be: Lorraine Heskin, Gourmet Food Parlour
Session 3 — Resilience will include: James Phelan, DLR County Council; Vanessa O'Connell, RWE Dublin Array; Louise Glennon, Tesco Ireland; Michael Power, Irish Rail
Session 4 — Prosperity will include: Theresa Cloonan, DLR County Council; Horacio González-Vélez, GreenShift; Paul Kennedy, DLR County Council; Robert Burns, Monaghan County Council
Tea, coffee and a light lunch will be provided.
Ideal for: Business leaders, local authority officers, entrepreneurs, innovation managers, healthcare and transport professionals, renewable energy developers, and anyone interested in how technology is driving sustainable regional development across Ireland.
EVAD will be demonstrating the latest Agibot X2 known as Adam
REGISTER HERE for DARGAN FORUM Main Event
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Event 2: Dargan Forum Playbook for Regional Development
What actually works in regional development? The Dargan Forum Playbook for Regional Development brings together 13 practitioners who have led real change from the ground up — across town centres, remote working hubs, community enterprises, digital infrastructure, and skills development — for an evening of honest, evidence-based conversation: what has worked, what has not, and what a genuine playbook for regional progress looks like in practice.
Attendance is free and registration is required. This event is part of the Dargan Forum 2026, taking place on 24–25 June at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire.
Speakers:
Hosts: Andree Dargan, DLR County Council, Sean Tobin, .ie
Theme 1 — Regenerating Town Centres will include: Trevor Connolly, Drogheda BID, Finbarr Daly, Enterprising Monaghan, Lyn Donnelly, Ballinasloe Area Community Development, John P. Murphy, Speedpak Group
Theme 2 — New Ways of Work: Hubs as Engines of Rejuvenation will include: Leah Fairman, Western Development Commission, Padraig Walsh, ChangeAble Behaviour Solutions, Pádraig Ó Beaglaoich, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Cormac McCann, Meath County Council
Theme 3 — Flexible Skills & Workforce Development will include: John O'Shanahan, LeanBPI, Susan Kelly, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, Michael Martin, Realtra Space
REGISTER HERE for Event 2
Event 4: Connected Communities: Building Digitally Trusted Experiences for People and Places with Seán Tobin
Title - Connected Communities: Building Digitally Trusted Experiences for People and Places with Seán Tobin
Ideal for - SME owners, community organisers, connected hub managers, digital skills trainers, town centre developers, and organisations seeking to build trust and credibility in digital environments.
Time and Date - 2 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Mariner Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 4
Event 5: Active Travel & Mobility Hubs with James Phelan
Title - Active Travel & Mobility Hubs with James Phelan
Ideal for - Transport planners, local authority engineers and infrastructure teams, active travel and cycling advocates, urban designers, community leaders working on sustainable mobility, public transport and NTA stakeholders, climate action officers, regional development practitioners, researchers and postgraduate students in transport or built environment disciplines, and anyone involved in designing or funding mobility infrastructure in Ireland.
Time and Date - 3 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Mariner Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 5
Event 6: The Value of Urbanism with Andrée Dargan
Title - The Value of Urbanism with Andrée Dargan
Ideal for - Architects, planners and urban designers, local authority officials and council architects' teams, heritage and conservation professionals, housing and regeneration policy makers, town teams and community development groups, and anyone working to bring vacant buildings and town centres back to life.
Time and Date - 4 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Mariner Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 6
Event 7: Tourism + Heritage + Technology = Ireland's Next Boom Sector?
Title - Tourism + Heritage + Technology = Ireland's Next Boom Sector?
Ideal for - Tourism and heritage professionals, local authority officers, community development practitioners, digital innovation leads, and SMEs in the tourism and culture sectors.
Time and Date - 2 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Dunleary Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 7
Event 8: Marine Clusters and the Blue Economy with Paul Kennedy
Title - Marine Clusters and the Blue Economy with Paul Kennedy
Ideal for - Marine industry professionals, offshore energy developers, coastal local authority officers, university and research institution leads, and innovation district managers interested in blue economy development.
Time and Date - 3 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Dunleary Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 8
Event 9: How Innovation and AI Can Help to Deliver Improved Public Services with Theresa Cloonan
Title - How Innovation and AI Can Help to Deliver Improved Public Services with Theresa Cloonan
Ideal for - Local authority leaders and digital teams, public service innovators, civic technology providers, researchers, and anyone interested in how AI can improve service delivery for people and places.
Time and Date - 4 pm, Thursday, 25th June
Location - Dunleary Room, Royal Marine Hotel
REGISTER HERE for Event 9
Do you work in a local authority, state agency or business empowering Ireland's green & digital transition?
Our Dargan Forum brings together 70+ speakers to explore case studies and expert insights on
Don't miss Ireland's only conference for those progressing the Twin Transition.
Coming Soon
The Dargan Forum 2026 Conference Booklet will be located here!
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We are on the cusp of the fastest, deepest,
most consequential transformation of
human civilization in history.
Dr. Adam Dorr, RethinkX
Dargan Forum's headline speaker 2025
