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On September 21st and 22nd last University College Cork hosted the inaugural scientific meeting of Ireland's first official neuroscience association, Neuroscience Ireland.

Over the last few years, there has been a consensus among Irish neuroscientists that pre-clinical and clinical neuroscientists should come together to form a properly constituted organisation that represents Neuroscience in Ireland. Consequently, a new national society called Neuroscience Ireland has been founded. The aim of the association is to advance a multidisciplinary neuroscience forum facilitating knowledge sharing and expertise which will guarantee that Ireland achieves international excellence in the neurosciences. Neuroscience Ireland has formal statutes, and is affiliated to the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies. Members also have the advantage of being integrated with a large number of national European neuroscience societies and are eligible to submit abstracts to the American Society for Neuroscience annual meetings. As such, Neuroscience Ireland advances research and education in the neurosciences and represents neuroscience research in Ireland.

Consequently, the inaugural Neuroscience Ireland annual conference was held in September 2006 in University College Cork to formally launch the association, and to elect the first official President and Council. The conference was held in UCC following a proposal from Dr Kieran McDermott of UCC's Anatomy Department and a founding member of Neuroscience Ireland. A local organising committee consisting of Dr McDermott (Chair) Dr Yvonne Nolan (Anatomy), Dr Cora O'Neill (Biochemistry) and Dr Justin McCarthy (Biochemistry) then undertook the difficult task of planning all aspects of the two day meeting. The focus of the inaugural scientific meeting of Neuroscience Ireland was to bring together for the first time all researchers working in neuroscience in Ireland (north and south) and also to attract the participation of some of our expatriate researchers currently working abroad. The scope of the meeting was broad and included all aspects of neuroscience. It received financial support from Science Foundation Ireland, the Biochemical Society and commercial sponsors.

A key objective of the conference was to showcase the work of several recently appointed investigators in the neuroscience field who have established new research groups in Ireland. In addition, a section of the programme entitled: "Neurological disorders: molecules mechanisms and therapeutics" was presented as an Independent Meeting of the Biochemical Society. It placed special emphasis on the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders including, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, and schizophrenia. In addition, it considered how new technologies are leading to the development of more effective treatments for these disorders.

The meeting was attended by almost 200 delegates with 110 abstracts submitted. This was the largest gathering of Neuroscientists ever held in Ireland and, by general consensus, the conference was a great success. It was formally opened by UCC President, Professor Gerard Wrixon. Each day of the meeting included invited presentations from some of Ireland's leading neuroscience researchers, selected 15 minute presentations by junior researchers from submitted abstracts, a two hour poster session and a trade exhibition. Leading international neuroscientists Dr Antoine Triller from Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris and Professor Ferdinando Nicoletti from the University of Rome (La Sapienza) each delivered plenary lectures which were very well received.

At the business meeting Kieran McDermott a member of the Cork Neuroscience Group (UCC), was elected President. A new council was also elected and all the main neuroscience centre are represented. The new council members are Karen Doyle, NUIG (Vice-President); Richard Roche, NUIM (Honorary Secretary); Billy O'Connor, UCD (Honorary Treasurer); Shane O'Mara, TCD; Tom Connor, TCD; Jochen Prehn, RCSI; John Waddington, RCSI; Gavin Reynolds, QUB; Tim Lynch, Beaumont Hospital; Yvonne Nolan, UCC; David Finn, NUIG; Caroline Herron, UCD.

Finally, the Galway Neuroscience Group kindly offered to host the next Neuroscience Ireland Annual meeting in 2008.