Taste of DCU Welcomes AFU Participants Back to Campus
Each year, DCU Age-Friendly University welcomes participants to the Glasnevin Campus for Taste of DCU, a programme dedicated to lifelong learning, discovery and engagement with university life.
Taste of DCU provides participants with an opportunity to meet DCU staff and students, experience areas of teaching and research across the University, and explore different ways to continue learning and participating in the DCU community.
Taste of DCU 2026
The 2026 programme took place on 31 August 2026, with Professor Dáire Keogh, President of Dublin City University, welcoming participants to DCU at the beginning of the event.
Throughout the morning, participants took part in presentations, workshops and interactive sessions covering a range of topics and activities from across the University.
From biodiversity and creative writing to AI literacy, sustainability and dementia-inclusive cultural participation, Taste of DCU 2026 showcased the breadth of research, teaching and practice taking place across Dublin City University.
This year’s programme brought together lecturers, researchers and practitioners from across DCU to share their work with Age-Friendly University participants through short lectures, workshops and practice-focused presentations.
Dr Gearóid Ó Cleircín introduced participants to Ireland’s placenames and folklore through the Logainm and Dúchas platforms, while Professor Emeritus Pat Brereton drew on oral-history research to explore farming, climate and a changing Ireland. Samantha Fahy examined contemporary sustainability challenges, Susan O’Reilly introduced an ethics of care, and Aoife Convery offered participants an introduction to art appreciation.
The programme also connected participants with current research and applied initiatives. Paula Kelly from ADAPT presented an overview of Age-Friendly AI literacy, while Trevor Boland explored the role of assistive technology in supporting people across the life course. Dr Ben Mallon and Dr Natalie O’Neill led The Nature Table, creating a shared conversation around biodiversity, memories of nature and environmental change.
Dr Waqar Ahmed from DCU Age-Friendly University presented the Erasmus+ MEMORABLE project and its work to support cultural institutions in becoming more inclusive for people living with dementia. Aishling Silke introduced the ENHANCE Erasmus+ project and its use of Futures Workshops across policy, education and research.
Other sessions included Barry Peak on Education for Sustainable Development at DCU, Katie Keogh on Charles Haughey and Ireland’s 1990 EC Presidency, Dr Peter Admirand on questions of evil and belief, and Claire Hennessy with a creative writing taster workshop.
Together, the programme offered participants direct access to the people, ideas and projects shaping research, education and public engagement across DCU.
Taste of DCU reflects DCU's continuing commitment as the world's first Age-Friendly University to creating opportunities for people of all ages to access higher education and contribute their knowledge and experience to university life.
Visit the DCU Age-Friendly University website to discover lifelong learning opportunities, upcoming events and ways to engage with the University.
