Our Assembly will be comprised of stakeholders and citizens from Limerick city and county, taking representation from all six Limerick municipal districts, based on county demographics and principles of inclusivity. Limerick’s Public Participation Network (PPN) and Comhairle na nÓg are collaborating to ensure the Assembly is as representative as it can be, supported by Limerick City and County Council and Limerick Community Educational Network (LCEN).

Project proposals may come from any part of the University and may be related to teaching, research, or any kind of collaborative project, but all project proposals must:

• Address an identified Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
• Explain how the project will develop civic engagement
• Demonstrate the potential positive impact for Limerick

The Citizens’ Assembly will vote for three winners who will each receive a project funding award of €10,000.

The job of Assembly members is to choose the projects that will receive a €10,000 award.

Assembly members are looking for a smart project – it doesn’t have to be really complicated – but it should:

• Be focused on one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Include a clear plan for how the project will make an impact in Limerick
• Provide details about how the engagement envisaged for the plan will continue through the life-time of the project

All Assembly members will receive a user-friendly resource pack in advance of the Assembly with information about the SDGs, the projects, and how the voting will work on the day.

Project posters will be publicly available to view in advance.

The Assembly will be arranged in a ‘world café’ style, leaving space in the schedule for participants to share their thoughts about the project presentations before casting their vote.

• Registration, coffee, chat
• Presentations and discussion
• Break/Lunch
• Presentations and discussion
• Vote
• Winners announced
• Reception

Kevin is an Associate Professor of Statistics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick (UL). His research focuses on the development of statistical and machine learning methods for a wide range of application areas such as health, medicine, and psychology. He also has 10 years of experience in collaborating with external industrial partners and organisations, including directing UL’s Industrial Mathematics Unit (2016-2020) and working as a Science Foundation Ireland Public Service Fellow within the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (2020-2021).

Andrea is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation at the University of Limerick. With extensive experience in sustainability leadership, she has been instrumental in advancing mission-oriented frameworks to address global challenges. She co-designed UL’s Sustainability Framework 2030, which translates the UN SDGs into 21 actionable, locally relevant missions, including projects on carbon neutrality and ecosystem revitalisation.

Patrick has worked in the community sector of Limerick for many years covering mental health and adult community education.  He is passionate about raising the awareness of services available and has sat as Director of Limerick Mental Health Week for a number of years and Chairs the current Limerick LifeLong Learning Festival Organising Committee.  Patrick also works with the Limerick Community Education Network and represents the LCEN on the Limerick PPN as Facilitator of the Secretariat. He holds an MA in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and has co-founded Evolve Mental Health, Limerick’s CBT clinic based in Castletroy.

Liz is an ecologist; instructional designer; citizen scientist; administrator; people coordinator; project officer; and farmer! In the past, Liz was a student advocate; she managed multiple campaigns to improve students’ academic experience and welfare services. Liz holds a BSc Hons in Zoology from the University of Aberdeen and an MA in Technical Communication and eLearning from UL. A talented all-rounder, Liz is passionate about the environment and Limerick’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Simon Jennings in an Executive Scientist in the Environment Section with Limerick City and County Council. He started out as a petroleum geologist before he saw the error of his ways and has been working in the environmental sector for the past 20+ years, working in areas of environmental monitoring, policy development and strategy.

Lorna is Manager of the Participatory Health Research Unit in the School of Medicine, University of Limerick. She is also Programme Manager of UL Public Patient Involvement (PPI) which is part of the national PPI Ignite Network www.ppinetwork.ie.

Lorna Kerin has over 25 years of working in participatory health research, including facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborations to improve healthcare service provision for vulnerable populations and leading area- based interventions to improve child and youth population health outcomes.  Lorna’s most recent research collaboration with HSE Primary Care in North Limerick City won the poster award at the annual HSE Patient and Service User Engagement conference (2024).

Seamus O’Connor is Chief Officer to Limerick City and Council Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), responsible for liaising with a range of local economic and community development stakeholders to  implement the Limerick Local Economic and Community Development Plan

Sharone works as Research Funding Manager at the UL Research Office. She specialises in supporting researchers, and particularly early career researchers, for the highly competitive EU Marie Curie and Research Ireland schemes.

Helen Phelan is Director and Professor of Arts Practice at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. She is an Irish Research Council recipient for her work in music, migration and the use of arts-based research methods.  A singer, she is co-founder of the female vocal ensemble Cantoral, specializing in Irish medieval chant. She is founder of the Singing and Social Inclusion research group and Chair of IMBAS, a national network for artistic research in Ireland. Recent books include her monograph Singing the Rite to Belong: Music, Ritual and the New Irish with Oxford University Press and The Artist and Academia, co-edited with Graham Welch. She is HRI cluster lead for PART-IM: Participatory and Arts-Based Methods for involving Migrants in Health Research.

Kevin is an Associate Professor of Statistics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick (UL). His research focuses on the development of statistical and machine learning methods for a wide range of application areas such as health, medicine, and psychology. He also has 10 years of experience in collaborating with external industrial partners and organisations, including directing UL’s Industrial Mathematics Unit (2016-2020) and working as a Science Foundation Ireland Public Service Fellow within the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (2020-2021).

Andrea is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation at the University of Limerick. With extensive experience in sustainability leadership, she has been instrumental in advancing mission-oriented frameworks to address global challenges. She co-designed UL’s Sustainability Framework 2030, which translates the UN SDGs into 21 actionable, locally relevant missions, including projects on carbon neutrality and ecosystem revitalisation.

Patrick has worked in the community sector of Limerick for many years covering mental health and adult community education.  He is passionate about raising the awareness of services available and has sat as Director of Limerick Mental Health Week for a number of years and Chairs the current Limerick LifeLong Learning Festival Organising Committee.  Patrick also works with the Limerick Community Education Network and represents the LCEN on the Limerick PPN as Facilitator of the Secretariat. He holds an MA in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and has co-founded Evolve Mental Health, Limerick’s CBT clinic based in Castletroy.

Professor Colin Fitzpatrick is an academic leader with over two decades of experience at the University of Limerick, where he has significantly contributed to global engagement, sustainability research, and community outreach. He currently serves as Vice President of Global & Community Engagement (interim) and previously held the role of Head of the Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering (2021–2025).

Liz is an ecologist; instructional designer; citizen scientist; administrator; people coordinator; project officer; and farmer! In the past, Liz was a student advocate; she managed multiple campaigns to improve students’ academic experience and welfare services. Liz holds a BSc Hons in Zoology from the University of Aberdeen and an MA in Technical Communication and eLearning from UL. A talented all-rounder, Liz is passionate about the environment and Limerick’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Simon Jennings in an Executive Scientist in the Environment Section with Limerick City and County Council. He started out as a petroleum geologist before he saw the error of his ways and has been working in the environmental sector for the past 20+ years, working in areas of environmental monitoring, policy development and strategy.

Lorna is Manager of the Participatory Health Research Unit in the School of Medicine, University of Limerick. She is also Programme Manager of UL Public Patient Involvement (PPI) which is part of the national PPI Ignite Network www.ppinetwork.ie.

Lorna Kerin has over 25 years of working in participatory health research, including facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborations to improve healthcare service provision for vulnerable populations and leading area- based interventions to improve child and youth population health outcomes.  Lorna’s most recent research collaboration with HSE Primary Care in North Limerick City won the poster award at the annual HSE Patient and Service User Engagement conference (2024).

Niall O’Callaghan leads Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) as CEO, an independently funded charity which invests all its revenue from its commercial property into community projects of impact across Limerick’s most disadvantaged communities. He is currently a member of a number of regional social and economic inclusion committees and boards, including Our Lady of Lourdes, the I.NY Project, UL Student Life, and Limerick Regeneration, amongst others.

Seamus O’Connor is Chief Officer to Limerick City and Council Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), responsible for liaising with a range of local economic and community development stakeholders to  implement the Limerick Local Economic and Community Development Plan

Sharone works as Research Funding Manager at the UL Research Office. She specialises in supporting researchers, and particularly early career researchers, for the highly competitive EU Marie Curie and Research Ireland schemes.

Helen Phelan is Director and Professor of Arts Practice at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. She is an Irish Research Council recipient for her work in music, migration and the use of arts-based research methods.  A singer, she is co-founder of the female vocal ensemble Cantoral, specializing in Irish medieval chant. She is founder of the Singing and Social Inclusion research group and Chair of IMBAS, a national network for artistic research in Ireland. Recent books include her monograph Singing the Rite to Belong: Music, Ritual and the New Irish with Oxford University Press and The Artist and Academia, co-edited with Graham Welch. She is HRI cluster lead for PART-IM: Participatory and Arts-Based Methods for involving Migrants in Health Research.

By day, John Real is the coordinator for Limerick Comhairle na nÓg and Youth Mental Health Worker with the Be Well Team in LYS’ Northside Youth space. By night he’s a well-known events creator and curator, planning, managing, promoting and organising fantastical metal gigs and events in Limerick. He’s partnered the University on a number of collaborative projects, including successful IRC and Erasmus grant applications.