Geopark Academy 2026 Schedule
Burren College of Art, May 23rd
Geopark Academy 2026 schedule final
09.30 – 09.45: Welcome and Introduction
09.45 – 10.15: Tony Kirby – “Supernatural Burren – Folk Tales from the Karst”.
10.15 – 10.45: Eamon Doyle – “A fresh look at solution pans in the Burren”
10.45- 11.15: Gordon Bromley – “The muddy Burren Underworld: extracting stories of environmental change from deep cave sediments”
11.15 – 11.45: COFFEE BREAK
11.45 – 12.15: David Drew – “The Burren: known unknowns, unknown unknowns.”
12.15 – 12.45: Tiernan Henry – “What the Owentoberlea can teach us about nature-based flood and drought solutions and effectiveness.”
12.45 – 13.15: Laurence Gill – “From the Burren Lowlands to the Highlands – an overview of karst groundwater hydrological field studies and modelling.”
13.15 – 14.15: LUNCH BREAK
14.15 – 14.45: Monica Lee – “Unlocking the secrets of the Irish karst landscape”
14.45 – 15.15: Colin Bunce – “Improving our speleological understanding of Glencurran Cave”
15.15 – 15.45: Oisín Jackson – “TURCAST – forecasting turlough depths ahead of time using machine learning”
15.45– 16.00: Q&A/Short break
16.00 – 16.30: Nick Scroxton – “Surviving Ice Ages: How U-series dating of Irish stalagmites is uncovering evidence of glacial cycles, calcite deposition and climate.”
16.30 – 17.00: Padraig Mac Donncha – “From Karst to Coast – a new study of submarine groundwater discharges off the Burren coast”
17.00 – 17.15: Q & A and closing comments.
END.
There is no cost to attend but booking is essential, please contact info@burrengeopark.ie
The Geopark Academy is an annual initiative to promote learning and the dissemination of new research within the Geopark. Invited guest speakers give presentations on new research of relevance to the Geopark area. The Geopark Academy 2026 will focus on the themes of caves, karst, and hydrology in recognition of the work of Prof. David Drew in the Burren.
