During the last week of March, we spent a few days in Galway, Ireland! And not for an early holiday, but for our 6th plenary meeting, our first of the year. The ANEMEL consortium gathered on the 1st and 2nd of April in this beautiful Irish city to discuss the project’s progress over the past six months.
Our host was our partner (and project coordinator) the University of Galway, who welcomed us in the oldest building on campus – the Quadrangle. Such setting gave us some real Harry Potter vibes! It was so storybook-like that we even came across a hawk on the grounds. It was there to scare off crows, pigeons, and seagulls to prevent them from dirtying the building.
Beyond enjoying the lovely surroundings, we engaged in two days of intense and insightful discussions. Meetings like this are invaluable for gaining a clearer understanding of what fellow researchers across the team are working on, offering a great opportunity to explore each partner’s current state of play.
These sessions not only helped clarify each speaker’s presentation and offer suggestions for their future work, but also allowed other members to draw inspiration for their own research. It was also a valuable opportunity to share the challenges we’re currently facing and to work together in finding solutions.
Not everyone from the project was able to make it to Galway in person. Some of us joined the meeting online. That didn’t stop them from actively contributing to the discussions and giving presentations.
And, as every effort deserves a reward, we wrapped up these two days with a boat trip along Corrib River, where we were treated to some traditional Irish coffee and a beautiful traditional dance performance.
We’re really pleased with all we achieved and are already looking forward to the next meeting. This time, we’ll be heading to Slovenia, hosted by our partner the Jožef Stefan Institute, in Ljubljana. See you soon!