• IGI Conferences

IGI Communicating Geoscience Seminar

Presentations for download:

Communicating Geoscience: Lessons learned from engaging with the media, elected representatives and communities

Special event of the Irish Geological Research Meeting 2014

Held on: Friday 28 February 2014 – 09:15-12:30
Venue: George Moore Theatre, O’Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin

The Institute of Geologists of Ireland hosted this seminar, the first of its kind in Ireland, which featured public relations professionals and geoscientists from the public, private and academic sectors. It provided expert guidance and case studies from Ireland, the UK, Italy and the Mid-Atlantic of the successes and perils of communicating geoscience to the public. The content is relevant to all geoscientists working on the island and beyond.

Presentations are now available to download:

  • Dr Alessandro Amato, Director of the Italian National Earthquake Centre before and after the L’Aquila earthquake.
  • Conall McDevitt, Associate partner Hume Brophy, former member of the NI Assembly, SDLP Director of Communications and advisor to John Hume during NI peace process.
  • Sonya Cassidy, Director Cassidy PR, award-wining practitioner with 20 years experience, clients include: BGS, Geological Society of London, GSNI, Dalradian Resources.
  • Professor Andy Wheeler, Chair of Geology at University College Cork and marine geologist.
  • Séan Finlay, Geoscience Ireland, Director – Business Development.
  • Mairéad Glennon, Geological Survey of Ireland, award-winning Tellus Border Project.

Download Programme and Speaker Profiles

For inquiries, please contact Marie Cowan at mtc@bgs.ac.uk or Mairead Glennon atMairead.Glennon@gsi.ie

Dr Alessandro Amato presents “INGV terremoti: communicating
earthquakes in a 2.0 world”

Opening Remarks

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Gareth Earls (GSNI) – Sustainable Development and the Natural Resource Industries (2.1 MB)

Session 1 – Minerals

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Dr John Teeling – Mining in Ireland is there a Future? (556 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24John Ashton (Boliden Tara Mines) – Exploration in Ireland – the Future? (5.6 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Dr Ben Dhonau (EMD, Dept of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources) – Policy Developments in Mineral resource Legislation at Irish and EU Level (552 KB)

Terence P Johnston (GSNI) – Northern Ireland’s Natural Resources

(1 of 2) (N/A)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 (2 of 2) (4.4 MB)

Session 2 – Aggregates

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Liam Smyth (Irish Concrete Federation) – Need for Aggregate Planning Policy (736 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Gerry Sutton (CMRC, UCC) and Koen Verbruggen (GSI) – Ireland’s Offshore Marine Aggregate Resource (6.7 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Paul Caprani (An Bord Pleanala) – Recent trends in the Decisions of An Bord Pleanala in Relation to Quarries (548 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Marie Ryan & Tom Barry (North Tipperary County Council) – Sustainable Natural Resource Development, Section 261 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (4.9 MB)

Session 3 – Water

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Gerry Galvin (DEHLG) – Water Resources into the Future – Directive 2000/60/EC (900 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Donal Daly (EPA), Matthew Craig (EPA), Taly Hunter Williams (GSI) and Henning Moe (CMD Ireland Ltd) – Monitoring Groundwater – A New Beginning (3.2 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Teri Hayes (White Young Green) – Groundwater Development – Part of Irelands Sustainable Development (2.2 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Eibhlin Doyle (GSI) – The Need for Up-To-date Regional Datasets (1.9 MB)

Session 4 – Hydrocarbons and Renewables

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Noel Murphy (PAD, Dept of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources) – Ireland’s Offshore Hydrocarbon Resources (784 KB)

Stephen Boldy (Lansdowne Oil & Gas Plc) – New Exploration Techniques in the Search for Hydrocarbons – Presentation not available

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Graham Brennan (Sustainable Energy Ireland) – Renewable Energy in Ireland and Emerging Technologies (328 KB)

Closing Remarks

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Peadar McArdle (GSI) (96 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Minister Noel Dempsey’s Speech (12 KB)

Session 1 – Waste Infrastructure

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Margaret Heavey (Greenstar) Landfill Sites  (744 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Kevin Cleary & Mary O’Hara (WYG)  Contaminated Land (336 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Adam Green  (Atkins Tunnelling) Belfast Main Drainage (780 KB)

Session 2 – Energy Infrastructure

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Eddie O’ Connor (Airtricity) Wind Energy (272 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Michael Boyd (WYG) Wind Turbine Sites (236 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Nick Riley (BGS)  Underground Storage (204 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Alistair Allen (UCC)  Geothermal Energy (384 KB)

Session 3 – Transport and Natural Resources

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24 Eric Farrell (TCD)  National Road Scheme (404 KB)

Brian Byrne (Arup) Cost Over Runs – presentation not available

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Tim Paul (JBA)  Luas (2.2 MB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Peter Strogen (Consultant)  Aggregates (332 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Paul Jennings (AGEC)  Engineering Geology of the M4 (3 MB)

Session 4 – Future Challenges

Ben Follett  (Faber Maunsell)  Dublin Post Tunnel – presentation not available
Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24David Waters (IAE)  Transport 2050 (900 KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Sean Finlay/Kevin Cullen  (TES/WYG)  Hazardous Landfill (144KB)

Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24Ceri James (BGS) Marine Aggregates (664 KB)

Gareth Earls  (Director GSNI)  Closing Remarks

  • IGI Courses

Webinar 1 – 27th September 2023 – “Introduction to Contaminated Land and the Risk Assessment Process” Christopher Newton & Owen Williams


Webinar 2 – 25th October 2023 – “Developing CSMs & Introduction to Risk Assessments” Graham Webb (Geosyntec Consultants Ltd)


Webinar 3 – 22nd November 2023 – “Laboratory Analysis Methods for Contaminated Land Assessments” Ken Scally (SUEZ Smart and Environmental Solutions)


Webinar 4 – 17th January 2024 “Is TPH always TPH? or, What has your lab actually measured?” Ian Bishop (One Touch Data Ltd.)


Webinar 5 – 7th February 2024 ”Risk Assessment Approaches for Human Health and Water Resources Receptors – GQRA and DQRA” Simon Firth (Firth Consultants UK)


Webinar 6 – 28th February 2024 “Beware of Aliens – Invasive Species Workshop” William Earle – INVAS


Webinar 7 – 13 March 2024 “Hydrogeological Field testing” Dr. Tiernan Henry of University of Galway and Dr. John Weatherill of University College Cork

Geotechnical Soil and Rock Logging to Eurocode 7 Course
30th November – 1st December
See course flyer here

Gerry Stanley Pyrite Panel
Therese Clarke Standards
Eoin Wyse Construction Aggregates and Specifications
John Kelly Geology of Pyrite compressed
Michael Maher 398-1
Bernadette Azzie Pyrite Tests
Conor Taffe Communications
Cathal MacMathuna EN 13242 and SR21
Pail Quigley Discussion