Hugh Ahern

Great to be in Galway yesterday canvassing with @colmburke_td and @finegael members and members of the Parliamentary party from across the country for the @finegael Galway West by-election candidate @seankyne_ . It was great to meet so many interesting people.

Yesterday evening, I was delighted to have the opportunity of attending "French Day" at the @metropolehotelcork , hosted by the Embassy of France in Ireland @franceinireland and @corkchamber . The event highlighted the strong relationship between France and Ireland, particularly showcasing Cork's role in this partnership. The timing is significant as Ireland assumes the Presidency of the European Council in July, with Cork paired with France. The event began with remarks from H.E. Ms. Céline Place, Ambassador of France to Ireland, who emphasized the close economic ties between Ireland and Cork. Two insightful panels followed. The first panel, titled "Developing Trade and Investment Links Between France and Cork," was chaired by Maxime Augé of the Frenxh Embassy and featured: - Declan Cullinane of Amarenco - Caoimhe Kelly of Enterprise Ireland - Kevin O'Leary of Dassault Systèmes - Grace Kelleher of Cork Chamber This discussion provided an insights into the trade and economic connections between Ireland and France. The second panel focused on Franco-Irish cooperation in innovation, chaired by Mary Ryan CDir of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce ,Peter O'Brien, Jerry D Murphy and Jean-Michel Portefaix. As someone with a particular interest in the energy sector, it was interesting to hear about the ongoing cooperation between Ireland and France and what the European Union needs to do to have innovation sovereignty. Following the event I was delighted to meet H.E. Ms Céline Place. It was also great to meet so many interesting attendees and make some new connections. Congratulations to the MC Cathal McSweeney on such a successful event and congratulations to all the Franench Embassy and Cork Chamber on a great event.

🤝 Great to meet with Dr @schonquinlivan and @hugh__ahern today to discuss the expansion of the ‘Key to the EU’ programme in Irish schools. We had an Important conversation around active citizenship, democratic values and helping young people better understand Europe and civic participation ahead of Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency. 🇮🇪🇪🇺

Easter Sunday race day 2026 @corkracecourse

Now that I am fully back to normal, I am reflecting on what was a busy week last week. It was finally the week that months of planning and promotion came together for the 10th Annual UCC Economics Society Annual Conference , which I was privileged to direct and organise with my colleagues Brian O’Carroll and Isobel O’Callaghan. The Society and I were delighted to host excellent speakers and, as I said in my opening address for the conference, some of the country’s leading experts in their respective fields. I was delighted to chair my own panel on Economics in an Uncertain Time and Europe and Ireland’s position in the wider world. It was fascinating to hear the thoughts of the panellists: Alex White SC – Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs @iiea_hq Maxime Augé – Head of the Economic Department in Dublin, French Treasury @franceinireland Jude Webber – Ireland Correspondent for the Financial Times @financialtimes Christine Kearney – Founder of Venga People It really got me thinking about where Ireland is going internationally and where we need to improve. I was also privileged to curate two other panels. The first was a reflection on Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations 250 years on and its impact, which was a fireside chat with Dr Robbie Butler (Chair) and Dr Eamonn Butler, Director of the Adam Smith Institute.  The second panel was chaired by my fellow Conference Director Brian O’Carroll and included Seamus Coffey (Chair of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) and UCC), David Malone (CEO of the Irish League of Credit Unions), and Brian Hayes (CEO of BPFI). We were also delighted to host John O’Halloran, President of University College Cork, for tea and coffee with the speakers. A highlight of the day was definitely the lunch in the Vine Cellar in the hotel following the conference. Thank you to Joe Fahey, as Chair of the Society, for the opportunity to run this year’s conference, and to the rest of the committee for their support. Of course, a special thank you to my fellow Directors Brian O’Carroll and Isobel O’Callaghan, and most of all to the 100+ attendees and speakers who made it all come together.

Great day stewarding at the Mallow St. Patrick's Day parade this afternoon. Congratulations to all involved.

I was privileged to meet Nicola Sturgeon MSP @nicolasturgeon for coffee this morning to discuss a range of topics, including the upcoming rugby, the current geopolitical situation, and of course the great Irish literary scene. We also spoke about some excellent recent publications, including Jennifer Bray’s @jenniferbrayinsta book The Lies Between Us. It was an incredibly interesting conversation and there was certainly a lot to take away from it. I was also delighted to show Nicola around UCC on her first visit to Cork, where she was speaking at the annual Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture. This was a really special opportunity. I learned a great deal from Nicola during our conversation and it was fascinating to hear her thoughts on so many different issues. Thank you to Dr. Aodh Quinlivan for the opportunity.

On Tuesday evening, I was delighted to chair a really interesting panel titled The Future of Cork’s Economy: Growth, Innovation and Opportunity, which was hosted by the UCC Economics Society @ucceconsoc . It was great to be joined by such an experienced and knowledgeable panel on Cork’s economy, and I am certain we could not have found a better panel. The panel was: Joe Gill, Corporate Advisory Director at Goodbody Cathal McSweeney, Director of Public & International Affairs at the Cork Chamber of Commerce Billy Holland, Principal / Tied Branch Agent - EBS Dr Jean van Sinderen-Law, Associate Vice President at UCC and member of Ibec's Cork Regional Executive Committee.@universitycollegecork Barry O'Neill, Director at BKK Financial Advisory. @bkkadvisors Congratulations to Eoin Quirke, Joseph Fahy @joe_fahy , and Nokutenda Chelsea Choto on organising such a great event. Thank you to our sponsor BKK for supporting us with this.

Bit of an odd topic, but really enjoyed joining @andreagilligan1 on @newstalkfm Lunch Time Live on Monday.

Great to attend the ARINS Surveys Unpacked: Past Findings, Future Directions event today at @royalirishacademy . It was great to hear about the work of ARINS and the thoughts of all on a United Ireland and what needs to be done.

New Year's Eve with family.