Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Conference 2026 will celebrate World Mental Health Day in Croke Park

The Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Conference 2026 will take place in Croke Park on Saturday, October 10^th, bringing together approximately 400 Healthy Club Officers and County Health & Wellbeing committee volunteers for a day focused on health, wellbeing, connection and community.

The Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs programme continues to transform clubs into hubs for health in their communities. A 2023 independent evaluation estimated the programme contributes savings in the region of €50m p.a. to the Irish health sector. Earlier this year, 191 new clubs joined the programme bringing the total number engaged to 800 reflecting the growing commitment within the GAA and our partner Irish Life to building healthier communities.

Taking place on World Mental Health Day, this year’s conference will focus on the theme ‘Brain Health: Connection, Conversation & Community’. Brain health encompasses the ways we think, learn, remember, communicate and interact with others, and is influenced by a wide range of factors including physical activity, mental wellbeing, social connection, nutrition and participation in our communities. GAA clubs are uniquely placed to support many of these areas by providing opportunities for people to be active, to contribute, and stay connected at every stage of life.

The programme will feature a range of voices from the worlds of sport and health. Former Tipperary senior hurling manager, Eamonn O’Shea, who is also a Professor at the University of Galway with specialisms in ageing and social policy, will feature as a keynote speaker exploring the relationship between connection, belonging, community and wellbeing.

The conference will also feature a Gaelic Games player panel, bringing together well-known voices to discuss their experiences of sporting identity, resilience, wellbeing and the importance of strong social circle. The panel will include Carla Rowe (Dublin) and Joe Canning (Galway), with further contributors to be announced.

Expert perspectives will also come from Dr Gavin Breslin of Queen’s University Belfast and Antrim GAA (exploring mental health in sport), Dr Joanna McHugh Power of Maynooth University (an expert in loneliness and social isolation) and the Samaritans.

Alongside the feature sessions, delegates will have the opportunity to take part in interactive workshops covering four important areas of the healthy clubs programme including: mental health, healthy eating, men’s health and dementia inclusive clubs. The workshops will highlight the practical ways clubs can support health while providing volunteers with ideas and resources they can bring back and put into action within their own communities.

The day will be hosted by RTE Sport’s Marie Crowe, with the programme designed to encourage conversation, sharing and collaboration between healthy clubs from across the country. The Brain Health: Connection, Conversation & Community theme reflects the broad range of work taking place across the Healthy Clubs programme and recognises that supporting brain health is not just about preventing illness. It is also about creating the conditions for people to stay active, connected, engaged and included, while supporting positive mental and physical wellbeing.

Registration for the free Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Conference 2026 is now open, with places limited to 400 delegates.

Register here: Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs National Conference 2026 Registration – Fill in form