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Dr Emily Grennan (second from right), ICO Surgical Trainee and recipient of the Barbara Knox Medal for Best Paper at the ICO Annual Conference 2026, is pictured with Dr Fionnuala Kennedy, ICO Medical Ophthalmology Trainee; Dr Adan Khan, ICO Surgical Trainee; and Dr Kirsty Keitch, University Hospital Galway.
The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) 2026 Annual Conference, held in The Galmont Hotel, Galway from 13–15 May, brought together eye care specialists from across Ireland and internationally to discuss the latest advances in ophthalmology, patient care and service innovation. Over 250 ophthalmologists gathered for the three-day scientific conference to hear the latest clinical developments in the specialty.
Closing the conference, ICO President Mr Gerry Fahy said it had been a “fabulous meeting with a great programme, great venue, and great camaraderie”.
He thanked ICO CEO Ms Siobhan Kelly and her team, as well as the scientific committee led by Prof Conor Murphy, and all the speakers and session chairs for their hard work in organising and running the conference and making it such a success.
He described ophthalmology as an “amazing profession” that is a privilege to work in, with the opportunity to offer such good outcomes to patients. “One of the great strengths of Irish ophthalmology is the calibre of our trainees and specialists. It is so rewarding as trainers to see this. We must ensure our training environments remain high quality, supportive and sustainable.”
Mr Fahy noted that it is an exciting time for ophthalmology in Ireland with the ongoing service delivery changes being delivered under the HSE Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology, including the integrated care pathways and expansion of community services, alongside the expansion of the medical ophthalmologist role. “It is a very exciting time for the future of the profession.”
Mr Fahy urged attendees to take the time to also focus on themselves and their personal wellbeing: “You are a high-performance group of people in your speciality. There are many aspects to maintaining yourself in that high-performance state.
He also noted the lessons from the conference’s Effective and Sustainable Teams session.
During the session, Mr Stuart Lancaster, Head Coach of Connacht Rugby, and Dr Monique Hope-Ross, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Author and Director of Medicine at Healthbuddi Life Sciences, outlined key lessons and skills in maximising performance resilience and good lifestyle practices.
With experience at the highest levels of professional rugby, Mr Lancaster delivered a wealth of insight into cultivating culture, sustaining excellence, and leading through challenges and change. The lessons in leadership, teamwork, communication and continuous improvement resonated strongly within healthcare and clinical practice.
Dr Hope-Ross’s talk explored resilience from a biological perspective, focusing on how everyday behaviours influence cellular function and, in turn, how we think, feel and perform. Rather than approaching resilience as a psychological construct, her lecture examined three core physiological systems: circadian rhythm, sleep, and metabolic flexibility and how each plays a fundamental role in regulating energy, recovery, and the body’s ability to respond to stress.
Dr Basem Fouda, recipient of the ICO Sir William Wilde Medal for Best Poster at this year’s Annual Conference in Galway, is pictured with Prof Conor Murphy, Chair of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists Scientific Committee and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin.
Dr Basem, SHO at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, was awarded the medal for his study ‘A Signalling Network Model of Lamina Cribrosa Fibrosis’.
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