Join us for the latest edition of Energy West, with a focus on Community Visioning and Community Energy Action

Monday, February 23rd | 3:00 – 5:00 at PorterShed a Dó, 15 Market Street. 

The Event will also be streamed online – if you wish to to join virtually, please select the option below and a link will be sent.

Energy West aims to accelerate the energy transition in the west of Ireland, to renew prosperity powered by clean energy jobs by catalysing communities to Innovate together for the West.

Energy West is an open space for community leaders, business leaders, thought leaders and energy curious people, young and old, to come together to talk and learn from each other. And maybe create something together.

This event focuses on the critical group that have far too often been omitted from long term strategic planning of energy systems; Community. This event focuses on co-creation and authentic community visioning approaches and examples of community action for the environment and sustainable development in the west of Ireland. We hope you will join us for a discussion around shared experiences and wisdom on Community Visioning and Community Action for the Energy Transition.

AGENDA:

15:00
Welcome and Introduction by Dr. James Glynn

15:05
Dara Ó Maoildhia – Long Term Historical Perspective of Communiy Action on Aran

Dara is Cathaoirlach and co-founder of the Aran Islands Energy Cooperative CFOAT (pronounced Sea-Foat), Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árann Teoranta. This cooperative represents the 3 Aran Islands, founded in 2012, and is community owned. Shares are €100 open to all residents – 1 share per person. At present we have 120 shareholders.

15:20
Avril Ní Shearcaigh – Current Projects and the Future around Community Visioning on Aran.

Avril Ní Shearcaigh is a native of the Aran Islands in County Galway and the Manager of Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árann Teo, the community-owned energy cooperative representing the three Aran Islands. In her role, Avril leads community-based renewable energy and sustainability initiatives that empower islanders to take control of their energy future. Her work focuses on developing local renewable energy generation, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and ensuring that the social and economic benefits of energy transition remain within the community.

This includes supporting local employment, strengthening population sustainability, and protecting the unique cultural heritage of the islands. By placing local priorities, collaboration, and long-term community wellbeing at the centre of energy planning and delivery, Avril’s work highlights the power of community ownership in driving a just and inclusive energy transition.

15:35
Evan Boyle – Collaborative Research and Community Climate Action: Dingle Peninsula 2030

Evan is a Senior Postdoctoral researcher with the Sustainability Institute, University College Cork. His research focuses on community engagement in energy transitions, collaborative approaches to sustainability, and city-university partnerships for climate action. Previously, he has done research on public participation in renewable infrastructure development in both Ireland and internationally collaborating with EirGrid through the STEPS project (2022–2024) and the just transition dimensions of city level climate action through JustCities Hub (2024–2028).

As of 2025, he acts as principal investigator on UrbanClimateCollab, exploring city- university collaborations for climate action (2025–2029). Other current research interests include transdisciplinary methodologies, blue spaces and nature immersion, and liminality and ritual festivals. He is a member of the Sociological Association of Ireland and a working group leader on the COST Action SHiFT. He is co-founder of the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters Charter action ‘Blue Connections’, a multidisciplinary conference and consortium exploring societies connection to the ocean.

Evan is on the Editorial Board for the journal Societal Impacts. He is a commissioner on Ireland’s Just Transition Commission with secretariate functions provided through the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Government of Ireland.

15:50
Alexandra Revez – Deliberative Tools for Sustainability

Alexandra is a Research Fellow at the University College Cork and the Vice-Chair of the COST Action SHiFT (Social Science and Humanities for Transformation and Climate Resilience). She has a PhD (University of Galway, 2014) in Geography, and her research work has concentrated on diverse areas including the societal and policy aspects of climate action, disaster risk management and energy transitions.

Her current research work is on climate justice, grassroots climate action and promoting the role of Social Sciences and Humanities and Transdisciplinarity with climate research. Alexandra is also a member of the International Energy Agency Users-TCP Programme on ‘EnPowering All’ Task Force (IEA-Users-TCP)

16:05
Panel Discussion

16:30
Town Hall Discussion 

16:55
Closing

Energy West is sponsored and supoprted by the Western Development Commission