Library Association of Ireland / CILIP Ireland conference Dublin

Last week I had the great pleasure of being in Dublin for the joint annual conference of the Library Association of Ireland and CILIP Ireland.  It was held at Croke Park on the north side of Dublin and it proved to be an excellent venue.  I was very pleased to be asked to accompany the CILIP Scotland President Audrey Sutton to the conference.  I really enjoyed last year's one in Belfast and so it was excellent to be given the opportunity to return this year.

There were a number of really good and thought-provoking presentations including one from Annie Mauger, the CEO of CILIP on the future of the information professionals and I particularly enjoyed Kathy Roddy's keynote on how to be an effective fundraiser.  Kathy gave may incredibly useful insights and was a really lively and enjoyable speaker.  I hope we can get her to present at an event in Scotland before too much longer. 

It was really good to be able to catch up with colleagues from Ireland such as Brendan Teeling, Nigel Macartney, Adrienne Adair and Jane Cantwell who is serving currently as President of the Library Association of Ireland and who is the City Librarian in Waterford.  Jane will be coming over to Dundee for the CILIP Scotland Conference in June.

On the first evening of the conference, we were treated to a civic reception at Dublin City Hall, hosted by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin.  Also present was Bryan Murray, the well-known actor who will, to me, be forever Flurry Knox from the Irish RM.  He read from James Plunkett's Strumpet City.  Afterwards, we went to Morrison's Hotel for the Conference Dinner which was excellent.  Immediately prior to dinner starting we were addressed by Fergus O'Dowd TD, the Minister for the New Era Project, who is always very engaging and supportive of libraries, librarians and their work.