Galway #2 - Sea change
Fri, 18 Jul
|Galway, Bonham Quay
Our shared seas and the communities that once thrived in its abundance are facing a new reality that cuts across climate, nature and livelihoods. We delve deep and explore the nexus bringing creative, economic, political and societal issues together, with delicious cocktails and salty chat.
Time & Location
18 Jul 2025, 18:00 – 22:00
Galway, Bonham Quay, 25 Dock Rd, Galway, H91 AK1V, Ireland
About the event
The oceans are our lifeline—regulating climate, sustaining biodiversity and shaping the livelihoods of communities worldwide. But decades of exploitation and disconnection have fractured our relationship with the sea, leaving ecosystems and coastal communities at risk. Sea Change explores bold new approaches to restoring ocean health, rebuilding thriving communities, unlocking the power of blue economies and access the regenerative opportunities. From bold marine businesses to ocean-positive innovations, join us as we dive into the solutions transforming Ireland and beyond—before the tides turn against us.
Join us for a magical networking and knowledge event, with inspirational speakers, art, live music, science, cocktails and more. Co-curated with renowned social ecologist, creative, leader and surfer Easkey Britton, the event will delve deep into the complex and compelling relationship we all have with our oceans. This event has been made possible by the catalysing power of the Western Development Commission, who are enabling system-wide change of coastal communities and unlocking ocean opportunities across the region.
Delicious and complimentary cocktails will be provided by our Official Cocktail Partner Diageo upon arrival and while stocks last, and get a dose of epic sea shanties from the Molgoggers! Yar-me-hearties. B Lab Ireland and Cuan Beo are event collaborators and together we'll showcase the best of Ireland's ocean leaders.
The opens with a special screening of Éiru - co-produced by 5-time Academy Award nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and HerStory. This is the first screening of the feature outside its premiere and we'll explore its crafting, meaning and purpose with Melanie Lynch.
SPEAKERS
Dr Easkey Britton, Author, ocean advocate and blue health researcher
Melanie Lynch, Founder and Director, Our Story and HerStory
Gareth Murphy, Seaweed Project Manager, Simply Blue Group
Prof. Frances Fahy, Director - Ryan Institute, University of Galway
Jack O'Donovan Trá, Communications Officer, FairSeas
Máire Éinniú, Head of Nua Mara, Údarás na Gaeltachta
Joe Joyce, Master Currach and Boat Builder, Galway Hooker Sailing Club
Imelda McCarron, EU Projects Development Executive, Western Development Commission
Ciara Herity, EU Projects Development Executive, Western Development Commission
Michael Officer, Programme Manager, Cuan Beo
Lucy Hunt, Ocean Impact Director, The Ocean Race, and Founder Sea Synergy
Martha Farrell, Co-Founder and Director, Maharees Conservation Association
Dr Tom Gillespie, Marine Economist and Organiser, Irish Surf Film Festival
Emer Shovlin, Marine Scientist & Founder
Tom Popple, CEO-Founder, BE IMPACTFUL & Climate Cocktail Club (HOST)
Diane O'Connor, Comedian, Writer & Co-Founder, The Sustainable Life School (HOST)
DAY 1 SCHEDULE - CUAN BEO FIELD TRIP & CLIMATE COCKTAIL CLUB EVENT
1215-1530 - Field trip to Cuan Beo oyster regeneration project (€45/person - limited space)
For the first time in CCC history you'll also be able to sign up to exclusive project visit pre-event, joining Cuan Beo and their team on the ground to learn more about the Galway Bay native oyster reef and community regeneration project (and... delicious oysters and drinks pairing to enjoy!).
FIELD TRIP ITINERARY
1215 - Mini bus pick up from Galway Coach Station (city-link) (second pick up at Oranmore at 1230 where free parking is available)
1300 - Arrive at Ballinderreen village and walk to shoreline to meet Cuan Beo team
1320 - Circulate amongst five inspirational spaces to meet experts and leaders on restoration, financing, education and outreach, policy and heritage
1445 - Regroup for oyster tasting with Kelly's Oysters, paired with menu of Diageo drinks (beer, whiskey and cocktails), and share final Q&A
1530 - Pick up and depart for Galway
CLIMATE COCKTAIL CLUB SCHEDULE
1800 - Doors open and networking (cocktails and live music - sea shanties with the Molgoggers)
MAIN ROOM - hosted by Tom Popple
1845 - Kick-off and welcome
1850 - Grounding - "Blue Mind" breathing exercise: Easkey Britton
1900 - Creative response to ocean and climate crises - connecting with Éiru: Easkey Britton and Melanie Lynch
1930 - Keynote - our thriving seas, what will it take: Jack O'Donovan Trá
1945 - Keynote - realising the opportunity: Rick Officer
1955 - Irish Surf Film Festival - a welcome to our seas: Tom Gillespie
2005 - Panel session - creating abundance and opportunity in nature, business and communities: Gareth Murphy, Máire Éinniú, Jack O'Donovan Trá, Frances Fahy
2100 - Closing remarks
COCKTAIL ROOM - hosted by Diane O'Connor
1935 - Feature fireside chat "Life on the tide: master currach and boat builder": Joe Joyce with Melanie Lynch
1955 - Leadership from the West: exploration of innovation on GNP, Dibest, Circnets with Imelda McCarron and Ciara Herity
2010 - Stories from the frontline (case studies and panel): Michael Officer, Lucy Hunt, Martha Farrell
2050 - Impact idea pitch with Emer Shovlin
2055 - Closing remarks
2100 - Networking (cocktails and live music- sea shanties with the Molgoggers)
2200 - Doors close
DAY 2 SCHEDULE - SEA SWIMMING WITH EASKEY, OUR BLUE WORLD SCREENING & WATER WORKSHOPS
SEA SWIMMING
Join Easkey and the CCC team for an early morning sea swim that will blow off the barnacles of the night before and connect you with the watery world your were inspired to join on Day 1. Full details provided on the night - exclusive to CCC guests.
FREE SCREENING OF OUR BLUE WORLD
Join Melanie and a bold collective of people in central Galway for a screening of the Irish documentary Our Blue World - A Water Odyssey, narrated by Liam Neeson. BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE.
FREE WATER WORKSHOP
Join Melanie and Easkey for a immersive water workshop "SOURCE TO SEA WORKSHOP: Reimagining our Relationship with Water", hosted at the Galway City Museum. BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE.
PARTNERS
We are proud to be supported by our event partners. Contact us to support the mission and become a partner to the Climate Cocktail Club. We need your sponsorship to ensure our events are successful. We have a limited number of event partner and sponsor opportunities - please get in touch (info@climatecocktailclub.org).
OFFICIAL COCKTAIL PARTNER - IRELAND
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Spirit of Progress, is Diageo’s ongoing ESG action plan to create a more inclusive and sustainable world. Diageo’s Spirit of Progress ambitions have three priorities: to promote positive drinking, champion inclusion and diversity and pioneer grain-to-glass sustainability. Doing business the right way underpins everything Diageo does.
Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives and ways to share best practice.
LEAD PARTNER
WESTERN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
The Western Development Commission (WDC) is a statutory body in Ireland promoting economic and social development in the Western Region. It supports regional enterprise, investment, and policy initiatives, manages the Western Investment Fund, and champions balanced regional growth to enhance living standards and opportunities across the Western Region.
BRAND PARTNER
THINKHOUSE is one of the world’s leading independent agencies. Powered by youth culture, its digital-first, future-fit marketing is for progressive brands that care about people and planet. The company transforms and empowers organisations and teams by helping shift mindsets and adopt new ways of looking at the world - through the lens of the next generation. THINKHOUSE’s innovative, creative work is a vehicle for change, born out of its mission to have a positive impact on the lives of younger generations, now and into the future. www.thinkhousehq.com
DELIVERY PARTNER
ERINN Innovation is an impact driven company dedicated to advancing sustainable development through national and EU projects, initiatives, and services. We aim to connect and engage diverse stakeholders to bridge gaps, foster dialogue, and build a sustainable future for all. Some of the impactful initiatives we support include Peatland Finance Ireland, an initiative aiming to secure financing for large-scale peatland restoration in Ireland. We’re also collaborating with the University of Galway under the EU LIFE Peatlands & People project to conceptualise a Climate House for Ireland, a transformative visitor experience and Ireland’s leading climate impact venue, which will be located in the midlands. We’re also involved in the Irish Ocean Literacy Network, which has the vision to achieve an Ocean Literate society across the island of Ireland.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
KPMG Sustainable Futures is a dedicated cross-functional team of experts who help corporates and public sector clients plan and execute programmes addressing ESG topics, decarbonisation, and long-term value creation. At KPMG, we believe that organisations that rise to these challenges and show leadership will be rewarded by their stakeholders and gain access to new opportunities. Those businesses that fail to act may put their margins and even business models at risk. Whether your organisation is just beginning its sustainability journey, reporting on its progress, or financing new initiatives, we have the knowledge and the people to support you.
INDEPENDENT ADVISORY FOR CLIMATE, NATURE AND COMMUNITY IMPACT. We unleash changemakers with the insights, solutions and partnerships they need to reach set goals. We supercharge purpose-driven brands, organisations and social enterprises across the world. We are honest, transparent and fiercely independent. We strive for a just, equitable and thriving planet.
COLLABORATORS
B Lab Ireland is part of a global nonprofit network that creates economic systems change through standards, policies, tools, and programs for business, and certifies companies—known as B Corps™—who are leading the way. B Corps are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Globally there are now over 9,600 B Corps in 100+ countries, across 160 industries, employing over 960,000 people.
CUAN BEO is a community-based organisation with a mission of improving the quality of life, environment, economy, and heritage around Galway Bay. Through native oyster restoration, catchment education and outreach initiatives, and policy development, CUAN BEO engages communities in diverse ways to restore the native oyster fishery and habitat, improve catchment water quality, and reconnect people with the region's natural and cultural heritage. To fund scaled Galway Bay and national oyster restoration, CUAN BEO is now working to develop biodiversity credit framework for oyster restoration that can be purchased by Governments, corporations, or individuals committed to supporting marine restoration and sustainability.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL LLP
Founded in 2007, Sustainable Development Capital LLP (“SDCL”) is one of the most established and innovative investment firms in the sustainability markets and is unique in its dedicated focus on efficient and decentralized energy solutions. SDCL’s core strategy is to develop and invest in sustainable energy infrastructure assets that reduce cost and carbon and improve reliability. The Firm has a long and proven track record in delivering solutions for major technology, healthcare, commercial, industrial, and public sector clients, such as enterprise and hyper-scale data centres, hospitals, heavy and light industrial facilities, universities, warehouses, and hotels. SDCL deploys a wide range of commercially proven technologies such as on-site renewables including solar paired with storage, renewable heat, and cogeneration, as well as energy conservation measures such as LED lighting, energy efficient heating and cooling, motors, building management systems and controls. SDCL’s infrastructure investment capabilities cover all stages of the project development lifecycle, from concept to long term operations. In addition to project investments, SDCL has launched a private equity division to invest growth equity capital in the best companies providing products and services to the EDGE markets. SDCL is headquartered in London and the group, and its investment vehicles also operate from offices in New York, Greenwich, Dublin, Hong Kong, and Singapore. SDCL is authorized and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.