A look back on the first half of 2022

Over the past six months, we have seen a return to "normality" as we continue to navigate the post-pandemic era. A return to the office naturally resulted in the return to in-person events, and we were delighted to support our clients across a variety of projects in the first half of the year

Here are some of our highlights of 2022 thus far:

Cancer Care West - the Launch of a new Comprehensive Cancer Centre for the West of Ireland

In March, we worked with Cancer Care West on the launch of one of the most significant commitments to healthcare in the West and Northwest of Ireland in a generation, made possible through the inclusion of the Cancer Centre project in the National Development Plan. We worked with the charity to host a launch event to highlight the urgent need for a functional Cancer Centre at Galway University Hospital as well as a Regional Cancer Infrastructure.

The Cancer Centre's development will allow the delivery of cancer care to the region in a predictable manner, in a modern fit for purpose facility with access to cancer care underpinned by clinical trials, research and education, staff and student development. The development is in line with the Sláintecare proposals and Europe's beating cancer plan to save three million lives by 2030.

The launch was attended by over twenty Oireachtas Members and national and regional coverage of the initiative was achieved across print, online and broadcast media.

Carbon Collect - MechanicalTree™ Launch with Arizona State University

Through our work with Carbon Collect and their partners at Arizona State University, we planned and executed a multinational media rollout highlighting the launch of the company's innovative MechanicalTree™, a Direct Air Capture solution which is up to a thousand times more efficient at removing CO2 from the air than a natural tree.

Carbon Collect installed its first commercial-scale MechanicalTree™ at Arizona State University's Tempe campus in April. Carbon Collect funds ongoing research at ASU's Center for Negative Carbon Emissions to support further development of the company's pioneering work.

The announcement received widespread international media coverage. Articles discussing the launch were published in a variety of US media outlets, Irish media outlets, and in key international technology media. We look forward to working with Carbon Collect as this project develops further!

Law Reform Commission - Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

The Law Reform Commission is held in the highest regard across civil society in Ireland and year-in-year-out undertakes fundamentally critical work in reviewing and improving Ireland's legislation and legal processes.

As part of its Fifth Programme of Law Reform, the Commission concluded a major examination and review project, co-ordinated by Commissioner, Mr Justice Maurice Collins, Judge of the Court of Appeal. The examination concerned the way state compensation for victims of criminal injuries operates in Ireland, in particular, the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted. Working closely with the Law Reform Commission, we ran a campaign to achieve greater awareness on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and encourage public engagement in the public consultation held by the LRC.

The project achieved a reach of 2.6 million, spread across offline and online mediums. The awareness campaign also received significant broadcast coverage, encouraging a public response and participation in the consultation process.

ISME - Swoop Finance Finder Launch

At the end of May, we worked with our client ISME to launch a new business funding matching tool in partnership with Swoop Funding - the ISME Finance Finder.

The new tool is the one-stop-shop for funding solutions for Irish SMEs. This partnership is the first of its kind in Ireland and provides funding options for businesses within minutes. For a start-up or a business seeking to expand, improve cashflow, refinance debt, acquire a business, purchase property, stock or invest in a new market, the Finance Finder provides easy access to the funding opportunities available to them.

The launch event received a positive response from media, including an interview on Newstalk Breakfast with an approximate listenership of 746,000 people. The location of the launch event, The Mason Hotel, provided the perfect backdrop for the launch photocall and briefing for media and key stakeholders.

Galway Hydrogen Hub - Public Consultation Launch

In June, we worked with the Galway Hydrogen Hub (GH2) consortium to launch the public consultation for the proposed hydrogen multi-modal transport hub. GH2 is a consortium consisting of seven members - NUI Galway, the Port of Galway, CIÉ Group and Bus Éireann, Aran Islands Ferries, Lasta Mara Teo, Aer Arann Islands, and SSE Renewables.

GH2 will position Galway as the home of Ireland's first Hydrogen Valley, providing green hydrogen for use in transport, industry and within local communities in the greater Galway region. The development of the country's first Hydrogen Valley is another step forward in positioning Ireland at the strategic centre of renewable energy generation and energy sector integration. Green hydrogen can provide security of energy supply, assist in countering long-term energy price fluctuation, and make a significant contribution to reducing Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions.

Our aim for the GH2 launch was to create awareness of GH2, and the public consultation surrounding the hydrogen hub. The launch itself was a huge success, with the attendance of over fifty stakeholders at a briefing in NUI Galway. As well as this, national and regional coverage was achieved across print, online and broadcast media, both promoting the launch and directing the public toward the online consultation page.

The Heneghan Summer Gathering

To celebrate the beginning of Summer, we held our Heneghan Summer Gathering in Lennan's Yard, Dawson Street on June 23^rd. This was a fantastic opportunity to mingle, see faces old and new, and have a well-deserved in-person catchup.

We look forward to the remainder of 2022 and another busy few months.