Both the welcome reception and conference dinner will be held in Salthill, which is situated just 10 minutes walk from Galway city centre. Salthill is a traditional seaside resort offering facilities to please young and old. Salthill’s famous promenade is the perfect place to watch the sun go down on Galway Bay and the sea views from its hotels make for a pleasant stay.
Welcome Reception – Wednesday 10th November
The welcome reception will be held in Galway Atlantaquaria, Ireland’s National Aquarium, on the evening of Wednesday 10th November. The aquarium houses many native species from the seas around Ireland and the ray tank is particularly impressive. On February 14th 2004 the aquarium successfully hatched a white skate egg case (Rostroraja alba) making it the only aquarium in the world to have one of these endangered skate on display. The aquarium plans to release the female skate, known as ‘Valentine’, when she is a young adult. Recently the aquarium received yet another baby white skate and also successfully hatched an undulate ray (Raja undulata) egg, both of which are doing well. The team at the aquarium have kindly invited the IEG and EEA to the aquarium for the conference welcome reception. Delegates will be able to enjoy the exhibits whilst having a chance to catch up with their fellow elasmobranch researchers. It promises to be the perfect start to the 14th Annual EEA Conference.
Baby white skate in Galway Atlantaquaria
Conference Dinner – Friday 12th November
The conference dinner will be held in Oslo, Galway’s only microbrewery bar. The Oslo opened last year and has quickly become a favourite with both Galway locals and visitors to the city. This promises to be a great night as head-chef, Niall has devised a traditional menu of local and seasonal delights which will give delegates a true taste of Galway. The dinner will be held in the beer hall and delegates can also enjoy tasting the Bay Ale and Bay Lager, which are brewed on the premises. The IEG also hopes to arrange some local entertainment for the evening and further details will be announced soon. This is surely a night not to miss.
