Hosted at University College Cork (UCC), the European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting (EAS) took place from 23–27 June 2025 in Cork. It was officially the largest astronomy conference ever held in Ireland, drawing over 1,500 astronomers from around the world, including an additional 600 attendees online.

The conference brought together astronomers from across Europe and beyond to discuss new research, breakthroughs, and emerging developments in all branches of astronomy and astrophysics. In addition, it created space for the community to assess developments in world-leading European astronomy projects, including large-scale observatories and space missions. It also offered the opportunity to broaden connections between national communities and foster collaboration across Europe in the richly historic and cultural surroundings of Cork city.

The entire conference, including plenary sessions, symposia, special sessions, and public events, was hosted on the UCC campus, positioning the university and Ireland "at the heart of European astronomy" for one week.

Dr. Mark Kennedy led the local organising committee, with support from Kuoni Tumlare, and worked in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and Cork Convention Bureau.


The European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting 2025 made a significant contribution to local businesses and the Irish science sector. Some of the key highlights are:

• The European Southern Observatory launched the process of selecting its next transformational facility. This process will conclude in 2028, with the final facility expected to be completed in the mid-2040s. Launching this process at EAS means Cork will forever be associated with the future of ground-based astronomy in Europe.
• A special session of the "Astronomy on Tap" outreach event was held at the Franciscan Well Brewpub, bringing 200 members of the public together with leading researchers from across Europe. The event has continued on a bi-monthly basis, ensuring communities in Cork remain informed about groundbreaking astronomy research taking place locally and beyond.
• Environmental impact was at the heart of the conference, with several initiatives trialled to encourage sustainability.This included supplying attendees with portable coffee mugs for use throughout the week (meaning zero single use cups were used during the conference) and giving an award to the international attendee who had travelled to the conference with the smallest carbon footprint.
• The conference featured many prestigious attendees such as Minister James Lawless TD, who spoke at the formal opening of the conference, Cork City Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy, who attended the reception in Cork City Goal, and esteemed Irish astronomers who led some of the key science sessions during the conference. Their presence served to promote Irish science to key stakeholders and demonstrated the need for the Government’s continued support in this sector.

The European Astronomical Society (EAS) promotes and advances astronomy in Europe. The EAS acts on matters that need to be handled at a European level on behalf of the European astronomical community through collaboration with affiliated national astronomical societies and pan-European research organisations and networks.