Teagasc and CAFRE announce programme for Uplands Symposium in Killarney
The Uplands Symposium 2026 will be a day of discussion and knowledge sharing on the future of Ireland’s uplands. Taking place on Thursday, 19 November in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, County Kerry, this event will hear from leading experts, researchers, and practitioners as they explore how the uplands can contribute to the delivery of ecosystem services for wider society.
This annual Uplands Symposium is jointly organised by Teagasc and CAFRE (The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise in Northern Ireland) and attendees will hear about the work both organisations are doing in the uplands, with contributions from Professor Frank O’Mara, Director of Teagasc, and Paul McHenry, Director of CAFRE.
Phil Stocker MBE, Chief Executive, National Sheep Association in the UK, will share lessons from Dartmoor on Sustainable Farming in Hill and Upland Areas.
The second session focuses on Upland Science and Innovation with a paper on ‘Carbon in the Uplands’ with insights from the data coming from The National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO). A pioneering study on Precision Livestock Management (Virtual Fencing) will be presented along with an update from CAFRE’s Glenwherry Hill Farm.
After lunch, the focus will turn to local projects and initiatives in County Kerry. The session will cover the MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Project, finding the right place for trees in the uplands, and ACRES CP measures to support biodiversity, water quality and carbon outcomes.
The final session of the day will explore the Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for Upland Farming, starting with a paper on the CAP Post-2027 and the possible implications for Upland Farming in Ireland.
A panel discussion will hear from Joe and Eileen Condon, Organic Upland Beef Farmers, County Tipperary; Dr Eileen McCloskey, Senior Livestock Technologist, CAFRE; John Muldowney, Head of Agriculture and Environmental Structures Division, DAFM; Daniel Buckley, Upland Farmer, County Kerry and Patrick O’Mahony, Upland Farmer, County Kerry.
Ivan Kelly, Environment Knowledge Transfer Specialist with Teagasc, encouraged all those with an interest in upland farming to attend. Speaking in advance of the event he said; “CAFRE and Teagasc have collaborated on this annual event over the last four years with successful editions held in County Mayo, County Louth and last year at the Hill Farm Centre located at Glenwherry in the Antrim Hills. This year’s Upland Symposium in Killarney builds on that success and is an event not to be missed.”