Met Éireann’s 90th Anniversary Conference brought together Irish and international experts, policymakers and practitioners, from across the weather and climate preparedness communities, under the theme of Weather, Climate and Us: Forecasting and Resilience in a Changing World.
25th September 2026
Organised as one of a series of events to celebrate this significant milestone in the history of the Irish meteorological service and brilliantly moderated by Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. Met Éireann’s 90th Anniversary Conference provided a forum to discuss future challenges to weather and climate predictive capability, with a focus on collaborations and partnerships at national, regional and international levels. Over 200 participants celebrated the 90 years of trust Met Éireann built by turning science and technology into an essential public service by looking to the future.
Before the official opening address by Graham Doyle, Secretary General of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Eoin Moran, the Director of Met Éireann welcomed the conference attendees by saying:
“Ten years from now, others may gather to mark Met Éireann’s centenary. They may look back on the choices we make in this decade. And, and how well we helped prepare the people of Ireland for the risks associated with weather, climate and flooding.
Our responsibility is to ensure that they can answer those questions with confidence. For ninety years, Met Éireann has helped Ireland understand its Climate and prepare for the weather. Our challenge now is to build on that legacy by helping Ireland anticipate, adapt and thrive in a changing climate.”
Fig. 1 – Speakers and panellists (left to right) Florian Pappenberger (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), Keith Lambkin (Met Éireann), Claire Bergin (Maynooth University), Gráinne UÍ Thuama (Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment), Graham Doyle (Secretary General Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage), Eoin Moran (Director Met Éireann), Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin (MC), Eoin Sherlock (Met Éireann), Josephine Prendergast (Met Éireann), Andrew Parnell (University College Dublin), Carlo Buontempo (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), Caroline McMullan (Dublin City University).
Panel discussions and keynote presentations explored the unique and multifaceted role of national meteorological services and how their work translates cutting-edge science and technology into practical tools and services that benefit society. The talks reflected the current period of rapid change and evolution within weather, climate and connected sciences, from the changing climate to developments in technology and applications of AI. The critical role of national, European and international collaboration for the public good, historically, today, and for the future of weather and climate preparedness was a central theme throughout the day. Such collaboration through sharing observations, satellites, data, models, computing, research and expertise is essential to national meteorological services in producing accurate and timely forecasts and warnings.
Fig. 2 – Panel discussions at the Met Éireann 90th Anniversary Conference.
This international collaboration with the continued development of shared knowledge and supporting technologies and innovation allows national meteorological services to support the public in weather and climate preparedness. Resulting in people being safer, emergency services being better prepared, infrastructure being more resilient, businesses being able to plan, and government being able to make better long-term decisions.
In his keynote speech, Dr Florian Pappenberger the Director-General of ECMWF, drew on the history of the ECMWF, the current challenges and what the future could hold for this international organisation. Along with other international organisations such as EUMETSAT and EUMETNET, ECMWF plays a central role in supporting national meteorological services in their mission to help protect society and supporting the public interest with shared values that the European network of national meteorological services uphold through:
- public service for public good
- scientific cooperation across borders
- trusted and authoritative evidence
- sharing data and capability
- long-term public investment
- and national accountability.
Fig. 3 – Florian Pappenberger noting Ireland as a founding member in 1975.
For 90 years, Met Éireann has built trust by turning science into a public service. That trust rests on scientific excellence, public-service values and deep international cooperation. In a world of growing climate risk, geopolitical uncertainty and misinformation, trusted national meteorological services are more important than ever. The task now is to build on that legacy with ambition: using new science, technology and partnerships to help society make better decisions, prepare for change and become more resilient.