As the end of the year starts to come into view, it is important to reflect on the year that was and how we continued to work towards a society where no person’s life is limited by epilepsy. It is also an opportunity for me – on the behalf of everyone at Epilepsy Ireland - to thank every one of you for your continued support for our organisation’s mission and aims. Everything you read about here – and everything that we have not been able to mention – would not have been possible without your dedication and enthusiasm in assisting us whenever and wherever called upon.
The early part of 2025 saw a continued push to make TIME, SAFE, STAY and seizure first aid part of the public’s general knowledge through International Epilepsy Day. The campaign this year was fronted by our volunteers Emma and Gareth and had a simple but effective message, showing how epilepsy becomes much clearer when you know what to do.
The campaign had a fantastic impact – with high profile media placements across several platforms; which would not have been possible without Emma and Gareth fronting the campaign; and indeed, all the other incredible volunteers who lined up to share their stories to raise awareness. You can look back on this coverage by visiting the ‘#EpilepsyDay 2025 in the news’ page on our website.
Sticking with TIME, SAFE, STAY and International Epilepsy Day – later in the year, we were very pleased to secure sponsorship from UCB Pharma to reissue key materials from our International Epilepsy Day campaign. Thanks to UCB’s support, we have secured advertising placements on Virgin Media TV and Video on Demand as well as on Digital Audio platforms, including podcasts, music streaming services, and digital radio. If you’re catching up on your favourite shows over the Christmas, you might just hear a very important message filter through – as the ads are running until the close of the year. We are delighted to have another opportunity to share the vital TIME, SAFE, STAY message with a wider audience, and we are very grateful to UCB for making this possible.
Across the year, it has continued to be very busy for our team of Community Resource Officers who offer vital supports to people with epilepsy and their families across Ireland. Our Young Epilepsy Programme moved into its second year in 2025, and it has been incredibly satisfying to watch its growth and success. The programme is a series of support offerings targeted specifically at young people of different ages living with epilepsy and includes Young Adult Meet Ups (18-24); Teen Time (13-17); Get ChARTy (8-12); as well as groups for siblings of children with epilepsy (8-12). We look forward to continuing the delivery of the Young Epilepsy Programme and supporting young people living with the condition in 2026 and beyond. It was a pleasure to welcome the Teen Time group to Epilepsy Ireland HQ in October, and it was great to see the connections that have been made between these young people from across Ireland. The highlights for the teens in attendance may have been the pizza, but for the team at Epilepsy Ireland, it was how open the group was about their epilepsy and the clear value they are finding in a supportive environment that encourages friendship, mutual understanding, and connection through this still-new service. To learn more about this programme, visit the ‘Young Epilepsy Programme’ page on our website.
Alongside the delivery of the Young Epilepsy Programme, there was also new developments in 2025 – such as our stress management programmes for adults with epilepsy and parents/carers of children with epilepsy. Stress is a facet of modern life but as many reading this will know, it can have specific implications for a person in managing their epilepsy. The events aim to share techniques on how to manage stress in everyday life – to reduce the impact of stress on a person’s epilepsy and to allow parents/guardians better support their children with the condition. We have already added 2026 dates for the next stress management workshops – as well as dates for several other events. You can find them and some of our other offerings by visiting the ‘Events’ section of our website.
2025 was also an important year for our research activities. As the year ends, we are almost halfway through our latest research funding call – which is run in conjunction with the Health Research Board and Health Research Charities Ireland. We received 13 expressions of interest which were shortlisted to six projects by our research review panel. These projects will now move to the international peer review stage and following this, the shortlist will be further reduced. At the end of this highly competitive process in the Autumn of next year, we hope that we will be announcing further investments – adding to the €1.5 million that we have already invested in Irish epilepsy research. While the outcome of the HRB-HRCI joint funding scheme cannot be guaranteed, we can guarantee there will be new Epilepsy Ireland research investments next year – more on that in the New Year!
One research project which culminated in late 2025 was the EpiKNOW project. Part-funded by Epilepsy Ireland, the project was led by researchers in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Working in partnership with subject matter experts and women with epilepsy, the EpiKNOW team identified key information gaps across the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum journey. To help bridge the identified gaps, the research team then went on to develop new resources to support women with epilepsy with their conversations with their healthcare teams during this period. You can download the resources by visiting ‘The EpiKNOW Project’ page on our website and we hope to see these new resources used widely by women with epilepsy and healthcare professionals across 2026!
It has also been a busy year for our advocacy activities. In May, we hosted a special event in Cork highlighting the need for epilepsy to be added to the HSE’s Chronic Disease Management Programme, while in October, our activities for SUDEP Action Day saw our calls for the development of a national strategy to reduce epilepsy-related deaths further amplified, with features about our campaign on the RTÉ News 6:1 and the Irish Independent. Regarding our campaign for seizure safe schools, just this week – thanks to further sponsorship support from UCB Pharma - we have written to every school in the country providing them with a physical copy of our Education Information pack: A Resource for pre-schools, schools and colleges; copies of our seizure first aid posters; and an overview of how we can support educators to support children with epilepsy in the classroom. We will be using this exercise to further amplify our calls for a more proactive state approach to epilepsy in the classroom at the beginning of 2026 – stay tuned for more. You can learn more about all our ongoing campaigns by visiting the ‘Advocacy’ section of our website.
None of what I have spoken about so far would have been possible without our dedicated supporters. Again, thank you to everyone for your support this year. To give a very brief flavour of some of incredible support we have received this year:
- Eamonn Goold undertook a six-day cycle from Paris to Nice, clocking up 700km, and raising €9,750.
- John Nolan, Colin Gayer, Elliot Defina and Dónal Hegarty conquered Kilimanjaro raising €12,016.
- Meanwhile, all our incredible marathon runners have collectively raised more than €60,000 in support of our work.
If I were to list all the inspiring efforts in support of our work, it would be next Christmas by the time you stopped reading! To everyone who has contributed in any way this year – thank you. Your dedication means we can continue to deliver services to people with epilepsy and their families across Ireland.
Speaking of incredible volunteers, at our National Conference in September, we were delighted to name Melissa Ryan, Rebecca Reid and their respective families as our Volunteers of the Year for 2025. This year’s recipients have been involved with EI for many years – leading numerous fundraisers; raising awareness in their communities about epilepsy; and by sharing their own stories to help educate others about the realities of the condition. We would like to once again thank both Melissa, Rebecca and their families for their contributions to the work of Epilepsy Ireland and congratulate them again on their awards.
At the conference, we were also very pleased to announce athletics legend Michael McKillop as our inaugural EI Ambassador. The role of Epilepsy Ireland Ambassador is a voluntary, honorary role – with the objective of bringing visibility and positive public attention to the condition of epilepsy and the work of Epilepsy Ireland. Michael is one of Ireland’s most decorated athletes – winning gold medals in middle distance competitions at the Beijing, London, and Rio Paralympic games – before retiring from competition in 2021 at the age of 31. Michael was born with cerebral palsy and was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 14. Over the past several years, he has become increasingly involved in the work of Epilepsy Ireland and we were delighted to name him as our first Ambassador. Michael gave an incredibly inspirational input at our conference this year, which you can watch below – while you can watch all inputs by visiting the ‘Epilepsy Ireland National Conference 2025’ page on our website.
This year marked an important transition for our Board with the appointment of a new Chair. Michael McLoughlin was appointed as Chairperson, bringing with him extensive experience in leadership, governance, and strategic oversight.
Michael has worked with Amárach Research since 2000 and has served as its CEO since 2005. He has previously contributed to Epilepsy Ireland through his service on the Finance & Audit Sub-Committee (2011–2018) and as a Board member from 2013 to 2019, before being co-opted to the Board again in September. Michael holds an MA and an MBA from UCD, is a qualified Chartered Director, and is currently completing a Level 9 qualification in Financial Planning.
Michael succeeds Cathy Grieve, who concluded her term on the Board this year. We extend our sincere thanks to Cathy for her leadership, dedication, and support, particularly in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing the development of our current strategic plan.
We also wish to thank Clare O’Dea, Anne Maguire, Anne Kilroy, Ambrose Kealy, and Helen Behan, who stepped down from the Board during the year, for their valued contribution and commitment to Epilepsy Ireland. We are pleased to welcome new directors who joined the Board in 2025: Liam Woulfe, Caoimhe Neary, and John Gildea.
Looking ahead to 2026, as the year will be the last year of our current strategic plan, one of the key activities across the year will be preparing for and developing our new Strategic Plan to come into effect in 2027– so keep a close eye on our website and social media channels for more on how you can get involved in this process.
Next year also marks a significant milestone for Epilepsy Ireland – as we will celebrate our 60th birthday! We hope to use this anniversary to highlight our ongoing work in support of the epilepsy community, and ultimately, to help raise awareness of epilepsy across the country. We will also be launching a new membership model early in the New Year and will be asking you to become part of our community and join with us on our mission.
Finally, I will end as I began this message – with International Epilepsy Day 2026 which takes place on February 9th. The day is a huge opportunity to raise awareness of epilepsy and once again, we will be seeking to further enhance our seizure first aid message of TIME, SAFE, STAY. Work is underway on the new campaign, but there are many ways you can get involved in the lead up to the day or on the day itself. This can be by volunteering to share your story of life with epilepsy; becoming a media volunteer; sharing the message of TIME, SAFE, STAY far and wide – or in a new development for next year’s #EpilepsyDay – volunteering to give a few hours of your time at our public engagement/ information and fundraising stands in your local community. You can find out more on all the above by visiting the ‘Raising Awareness for International Epilepsy Day 2026’ page on our website.
I hope these highlights show what a productive year it has been for Epilepsy Ireland and I would like to thank all our staff team for helping make this possible. Once again, thank you to everyone reading for your continued support. After a break to rest and recharge over the festive season, our team will return even hungrier to achieve more progress towards a society where no person’s life is limited with epilepsy.
We hope you will continue to be with us on the journey ahead, but in the meantime, on the behalf of everyone at Epilepsy Ireland, I would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and every best wish for the New Year.
Peter Murphy,
CEO
Epilepsy Ireland