Courses
8th International Swift Conference to be hosted by ATU next year (27 – 29 May 2026)
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) will host the 8th International Swift Conference in ATU Mayo next year (27 – 29 May 2026) in association with Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo, Mayo County Council, Fáilte Ireland, National Wildlife and Parks Service (NPWS), Office of Public Works (OPW) and other sponsors.
Details announced at a reception in ATU attended by multiple supporting stakeholders
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) will host the 8th International Swift Conference in ATU Mayo next year (27 – 29 May 2026) in association with Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo, Mayo County Council, Fáilte Ireland, National Wildlife and Parks Service (NPWS), Office of Public Works (OPW) and other sponsors. Details of the conference were announced at a reception in the Mayo campus today (Wednesday 1October) attended by Mayo Co Council Cathaoirleach Al McDonnell, ATU President Dr Orla Flynn, representatives from all the supporting stakeholders and staff and students in the Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences.
Up to 200 delegates are expected to attend the three-day conference next year, bringing together Swift enthusiasts, conservationists, ecologists, researchers and rehabilitators from around the world. They will share the latest research findings, exchange ideas and celebrate the conservation of various Swift species include the Common, Pallid Swift, Alpine and Vaux’s Swift . The conference is held every two years, previously in Germany, UK, Poland, Israel, Spain, and Italy (Trieste, 2024).
Dr Deirdre Garvey, Chair of the Green Campus and Head of the ATU Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences, says: “We anticipate 50 to 60 national delegates and around 140 to 150 international delegates from countries including the UK, US, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and potentially South America and China.
It’s a great opportunity for ATU Mayo to host this international conference and highlight the conservation work that is having real impact in Mayo and leading the way for Swift Conservation in Ireland. We also look forward to welcoming our Outdoor & Environmental Education graduates Georgia McMillan and Jarek Majukusiak who will both speak at the conference.”
Invited keynote speakers from Ireland include Eoin Warner, award-winning nature documentary maker; Killian Mullarney, illustrator of Collins Bird Guide; Simon Wall, Senior Architect at Mayo County Council who will talk about the pioneering Swift nest box projects carried out in collaboration with Swift Conservation Mayo; Georgia McMillan, Mayo Dark Skies Park Development Officer, and Jarek Majukusiak. Master of Science by Research graduate of ATU who will speak about his research into the breeding biology of the Common Swift Apus apus in the west of Ireland.
Lynda Huxley, founder of Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo, says: “The ATU Mayo ‘Save our Swifts’ Project established under the Green Campus programme and the 24/7 livestream of the breeding activity has been a catalyst for nationwide conservation of this amazing and iconic, red-listed bird’
On Saturday (30 May) delegates will have an opportunity to take trips along the Wild Atlantic Way including Corncrake LIFE, Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE Project; Machair LIFE and other tours which are being hosted by NPWS to showcase the internationally important conservation projects in Co Mayo.
To register for the conference please visit www.swiftsmayo2026.ie
Separately, ATU Mayo received renewal of its Green Campus status from An Taisce this week. The Mayo campus was the first third-level campus in Ireland to win Green Campus Flag status in 2011.
Deirdre O’Carroll, Green-Campus Programme Manager, An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland, says: “I would like to congratulate ATU Mayo on the renewal of the Green Flag award and commend the impressive sustainability efforts showcased during the Green-Campus assessment visit in May this year. Key highlights of the visit included evidence of strong senior management support, integration of sustainability into the ATU Strategic Plan, and active participation in the STARS programme and the wider ATU community of practice. Hearing directly from students on the day was most inspiring including innovative student-led initiatives like the poetry competition, breakfast club, bike loan scheme, Food for Thought festival, and revival of the sustainability society. It was a pleasure to learn more about interdisciplinary links to learning, SDG mapping, and student digital badges along with wonderful biodiversity projects on habitat connectivity, swift conservation and more on waste, energy and climate action. The Green Flag is awarded by An Taisce on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education and the raising of a green flag is a milestone on a long term sustainability journey. We in the Green Campus programme are delighted to be with you on this journey and send our congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful celebration today.”
About Swifts
There are over 100 species of Swift world-wide. They are all amazing, mysterious and very fast birds. They eat, drink, preen, sleep and mate while flying. The species of Swift that comes to Ireland to breed each year, between May and August, is the Common Swift . Their scientific name is Apus apus, meaning ‘no foot, no foot’. They do however have small feet with strong sharp claws which they use to climb into their nest site. The name ‘common’ is no longer appropriate because its numbers have declined by close to 50% in the past 30 years, which is mainly due to the loss of their nest sites when old buildings have been renovated or demolished.
About Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo
Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo is a not-for-profit voluntary group set up in 2012 by Lynda Huxley. The group has been working to preserve and grow the breeding population of Swifts by raising awareness, surveying nest sites and setting up nest box projects, both externally mounted and built into the walls of new buildings and old such as the historic campus building in Castlebar.
There has been a long-standing collaboration between Swift Conservation Ireland/Mayo, ATU and Mayo County Council which has resulted in Co Mayo now being the first county in Ireland to have a recovering population of breeding Swifts. A 2024 county-wide Swift nest-site survey carried out by a team of dedicated volunteers confirmed that, as a direct result of the nest box projects spread across the county, the Swift population has increased by close to 40% in the past 12 years.
About Swift research project
County Mayo is on the north-western edge of the Swift’s breeding range which formed the basis for the Master of Science by Research project by ATU graduate Jarek Majukusiak titled “Breeding Biology of the Common Swift (Apus apus) in Ireland – the most north-westerly edge of the nesting habitat”. The research stems from the installation of 18 Swift nest boxes at the Castlebar campus building in 2012, with cameras inside each one, enabling recording of breeding behaviour 24/7 from May to September each year. See: https://www.atu.ie/connect/projects-and-programmes/green-campus-mayo/projects
For further information about ATU academic programmes related to these topics, see:
Outdoor and Environmental Education (Common Entry) – Atlantic Technological University
Picture captions [Photos by Mike Shaughnessy]
