Over 150 people attended Fingal’s OPC Annual Conference titled From Isolation to Inclusion: A Collaborative Approach on Wednesday 29th October 2025 in the Grand Hotel, Malahide. The Conference was opened by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Tom O’Leary. This was followed by presentations from three keynote speakers. Debbie Breslin, Fingal OPC Vice-Chair outlined the challenges faced by older people in trying to stay engaged and connected. Rahael Kenny, Research & Evaluation Manager, Alone, provided thought provoking information on loneliness among older people in Ireland and highlighted the work of Alone in combatting isolation and loneliness. Susanne Rogers, Chair of the Loneliness Taskforce provided an overview of the work of the Taskforce in developing a national strategy on loneliness. This section of the conference concluded with Q&A session.
While the conference was first and foremost an OPC event, it coincided with a visit from Fingal’s Korale Partners. Fingal County Council is a partner on the Korale EU project which focuses on identifying and sharing successful ways to combat loneliness. Our Korale partners from Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal and Austria attended the conference and shared case studies and successful initiatives from their own countries.
The conference also provided an opportunity for 12 organisations and groups including U3A, Fingal Men’s Shed Network, Swords Women’s Shed, Alone, Meals on Wheels, Skerries Dementia Café, Fingal Community Centres, Sports Officer, Libraries and Active Travel, Thrive Balbriggan and Active Age for All, to highlight the practical work they are doing to engage with older people.
The afternoon session comprised of roundtable discussion to further explore the case studies and identify some practical community-based responses to loneliness for piloting in Fingal. While it was working day for the 150 delegates, it was also a day of connection and collaboration, with new insights, new inspiration, and new partnerships being built.
