I’m Susan, and I was delighted to join the ICF Ireland Board as an Associate in February 2026.

Over the coming months, my focus will be on shaping our Le Chéile event series. I wanted to give you some insight on what you can expect from our event series. 

Our aim is to build an Events calendar that brings you:

• emerging coaching themes and trends

• hot topics and niche areas

• expert speakers and practical tools

• space for discussion, reflection and connection

You’re likely to see a mix of formats – face‑to‑face sessions, differing locations, workshops, webinars and green rooms – all designed to support your needs, and respect your time and work commitments

We’ve already had a brilliant start with our ‘Coaching for Connection’ event on May 14th. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the morning. The buzz in the room was phenomenal – a powerful reminder of how our profession is strengthened when we come together to learn, share and connect. 

Don’t be shy!

It’s your ideas that will help shape our programme. If there are topics you’d like us to explore or speakers you would like to hear from, please let us know  at admin@icfireland.com

Make sure you check-out our ‘Events’ section below to see what’s coming up!

Ar aghaidh le chéile — moving forward together

Susan

To mark International Coaching Week, ICF Ireland hosted two engaging events designed to bring coaches together, foster meaningful connections, and support the continued development of coaching skills and practice.
 

On May 14th, the Chapter welcomed members and coaches to an in-person connection Coaching Le Chéile event. The event was designed to create a unique opportunity for coaches to meet face-to-face, exchange ideas, share experiences, and strengthen professional relationships within the coaching community. A huge kudos to our event speakers & organisers who created an unforgettable, warm & memorable learning experience throughout. You can check out a highlight reel of the day here. 

Thank you to everyone who took time to share event feedback. This feedback is invaluable to us as we continue to evolve our events to become “unmissable” dates for the diary! Here is a snapshot of what we heard:

✨ “𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠 & 𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑢𝑛𝑐ℎ. 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑓 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒.”
✨ ” 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠.”
✨ “𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.”

You can access the full gallery of event photos, including any headshots taken here.
 

Continuing the celebrations, ICF Ireland hosted a LinkedIn Live session on May 15th featuring David O’Grady and Liz Barron on the topic of Coaching Supervision vs. Mentoring. The session explored the distinctions, purposes, and benefits of each approach, providing attendees with practical insights and a deeper understanding of how supervision and mentoring can support coaches at different stages of their professional journey. If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry, you can watch this session back anytime here.
 

Both events reflected the spirit of International Coaching Week by promoting learning, community, and professional excellence. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making these sessions such a success.
 

The Team Coaching Circle also proudly marked International Coaching Week with a series of engaging and thought-provoking events designed to bring coaches together, spark new ideas, and strengthen professional practice.

• Coaching with Science session with ICF President Melissa Sayer 
• Team Coaching ROI session with Jennifer Campion and Caroline Duffy 
• Neurodiversity in Team Coaching session with Hannah Linehan 

The enthusiasm, engagement, and shared learning throughout the week reinforced the strength of our coaching community and our collective commitment to continuous professional development.

Summer Spraoi – your chance to catch up before the summer break

Before everyone drifts off for their summer plans, we’re organising the chance to gather for an  easy catch‑up with coaching friends – old and new.

Join our Summer Spraoi in the Mercantile Hotel, Dame Street, on Thursday, 25 June. 

We’ve reserved space in the Mercantile Hotel from 5pm–8pm. This is all about networking – no charge, no agenda, no speakers! Just good conversation, familiar faces, and the chance for a get together before the summer slowdown.

We would love to see you there – Just register your name here so we know to expect you. It would be great to see you before the summer break.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine — it is in the shelter of each other that people live.

There’s no better line for what’s on my mind this month.

I’m David, Director of Learning and Development on the ICF Ireland Board, with a particular passion for behavioural coaching. Now in my second year, I’m focused on how we evolve learning together — across two strands:

Surfacing voices from within our network. We’ll keep bringing in high-quality external speakers — and equally, we want to tap into the expertise we already have. Too much of it goes unheard. If you have something to share — a topic, a method, or a piece of practice you’ve been refining — we want to make space for it. The only ask: it’s a learning experience aligned with ICF competencies. We’ll work with you to find the right home — LinkedIn Live, webinar, or in person.

Supporting coaching circles. They’re already doing phenomenal work, and our role is to support and amplify, not to direct. We’ve piloted this with the Team Coaching Circle over recent months — promoting events, applying for CCEUs — and the path is now well worn. We’re delighted to open it up to every circle. Three to four weeks’ notice is all we need, and we’ll bring it to the wider membership.

We’re learning as we go. Your feedback, your contributions, and your good grace are what will shape this into a modern coaching community we can all be proud of.

The spirit behind this message is what brings us together on May 14th at Coaching Le Chéile, our ICW event. The name says it all. Coaching, together — and I really hope to see you there.

Go n-éirí linn — may we prosper, together.

David,
Director of Learning & Development,
ICF Ireland

Two weeks to go until we come together for our first in-person event of the Coaching Le Chéile, to celebrate International Coaching Week. We are so excited to welcome to you the Digital Hub in Dublin on May 14th for a morning of interactive learning and connection. 

We have an amazing line up of speakers and workshops with opportunities to network and refuel sprinkled in.

And the cherry on top – As a recognition of your investment in your learning and development, we are delighted to share that ICF Global will award 4.0 CCE units for ICF members who attend this event (2.50 CCE and 1.5 RD)  

• For those who have got your ticket, you can expect an email in your inbox on Monday May 11th with everything you need to know to make the most of the event.

• For those who haven’t gotten your ticket yet and would like to attend, don’t delay – Tickets are selling fast. We are almost 70% to capacity so sign up now to avoid any disappointment.

• For those who can’t make this event, don’t worry, this will be the first in a series of events around the country and we will share snips of the May 14th event learnings so you can benefit.

Final preparations are underway to make this event unmissable.  Follow us on our socials channels to stay up to date and you can always find the full event details here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the first of our “Coaching Le Chéile” events for 2026!

To celebrate International Coaching Week, ICF Ireland would like to invite you to join an interactive morning of learning and connection in The Digital Hub, Dublin 8.

Coaching for Connection in Fast Moving Times

In this moment of rapid change and disruption, human connection is increasingly important, and longed for. This event is designed to equip you with the tools and insights needed to feel informed, responsive and adaptive.

Join us to explore:

• Future-focused coaching trends to help you keep pace with global change.
• Micro-coaching tools and techniques for coaching in the flow of work.
• Storytelling for Purposeful Change: try out the art of storytelling in a facilitated session.

The Details

• When: Thursday, May 14th | 9:30am – 1:15pm
• Where: The Digital Hub, Dublin 8, D08 TCV4
• Fuel: Refreshments & Networking Lunch provided
• Tickets: Click here to book your tickets

Whether you are a seasoned coach, a student just starting your journey, or a leader interested in the coaching ripple effect –this event is designed with you in mind.

Welcome to Coaching for a Thriving World, a new monthly series designed to spark curiosity, deepen reflection, and offer practical ways to consider the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our coaching practices, interventions, and conversations. So what are the SDGs –and why do they matter in coaching? The UN SDGs are a shared blueprint for creating a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable world by 2030. They address the core conditions that enable people and societies to thrive –from wellbeing and education to gender equality, fair working conditions, climate action and global partnerships for sustainable development. 

For coaches, the SDGs offer a lens for meaning-making with the leaders, teams and organisations that we work with and in. Many of the principles central to coaching –clarity, purpose, efficacy, growth, resilience and systemic awareness, align naturally with the SDGs. When clients examine their challenges, dilemmas and opportunities within the broader context of the SDGs, it can support insights into: what kind of impact they want to create, how leadership can contribute to positive change and how their choices affect people, systems, and the planet.

The International Coaching Federation continues to emphasise sustainable growth, social impact, and the role of coaching in advancing societal well being. Many coaches are already contributing to the SDGs without perhaps realising it! Through initiatives like the ICF’s Ignite Programme, coaching is well placed as a catalyst for social impact and change.

We intend to dedicate a section of our Newsletter to Coaching and the SDG’s each month to share insights, development and practical coaching tips. 
 

Coaching Circles Across the Country
Ireland has a vibrant and growing network of Coaching Circles, bringing coaches together across the country to connect, learn, and support one another in practice. These circles offer a space for shared reflection, professional development, and community-building – whether you’re an experienced practitioner or new to coaching.

We would love to use this space to showcase upcoming events, local activities, and ways you can get involved in a Coaching Circle near you.

If you are part of a Coaching Circle and would like to highlight your work, please reach out to the ICF Ireland Chapter at partnerships@icfireland.com.
 

Spotlight: Check out the latest circle event coming on April 13th.
















Diagnostics in Team Coaching Series: Transforming every team in your organisation
Through the lens of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies, this one-hour session on April 13, will explore how diagnostics can enhance a coach’s ability to cultivate trust and safety, maintain presence, and facilitate client awareness at both individual and team levels.

Prof. Declan Woods and Andy Duncan, MTC will share their journey of developing and applying a psychometric approach to team coaching, offering insight into how diagnostic data can be used to transform team dynamics, strengthen collaboration, and deliver measurable organisational impact.

Whether you’re a leader, HR professional, or team coach, this session will offer insights into why transforming teams is vital for organisational success.

Book here for the Diagnostics in Team Coaching Series: Transforming every team in your organisation event.

Congratulations to the new board of the ICF Ireland Chapter.

• Melissa Sayer – President

• Shashi Sopirala – Chief Operating Officer

• David O’Grady – Director, Learning and Development

• Egle Holton – Director of Partnerships and Community

• Fred Wilson – Director of Memberships

• Lindsay Brady – Director of Marketing and Communications

• Susan Creedon – Associate Board Member

• Colette Henry – Associate Board Member

As a board, our goal is to continue to grow a thriving chapter that creates value and connection for everyone. You can learn more about each member of the board on the About Page of the ICF Ireland website. We would love to hear from you with any ideas, feedback or just to connect & say hello.

To get started, we are working on strengthening our communication and connection with you. We are committing to sharing a newsletter on the first Thursday of every month so you are in the loop on upcoming events, opportunities and important updates.

Lot’s more exciting plans to come, but for now, a simple thank you for being part of the journey of our chapter.

International Coaching Week (ICW26) will take place from May 11th to 17th. ICW26 is a global celebration of coaching’s power to transform lives, organizations, and communities.  This week promises to bring great opportunities to connect, learn and grow.

ICF Ireland will be leaning into this week to activate our communities and showcase the power of coaching. For ICW26, we will coordinate and share a calendar of events that are happening around the country to help you to find an event in your local area. 

Save the Date: May 14th 2026. We are working on an exciting in person gathering that will be an event not to miss. More details will follow. Once we have the details locked in, you will be the first to hear.

On February 23rd, we hosted “Why Mattering Is the ‘Secret Sauce’ in Coaching” with Deiric McCann. We were delighted to have 89 members register to join this event live. 

In this event, Deiric shared that coaching flourishes when clients feel they matter—more than technique, it’s about trust. We explored the RAISE model—Respect, Appreciation, Involvement, Seeing, Empowerment. Deiric emphasized that trust deepens when we stay present during discomfort, reflect emotional weight, and treat every concern as meaningful. 

On Monday March 9th at 3:00 PM IST, join us for “How Coaches Can Be More Strategic on LinkedIn“ with Louise McDonnell, award-winning social media strategist, will show how to turn visibility into consistent client enquiries. Hosted by David O’Grady, the session will cover how to clarify your offer, attract the right audience, and use AI for growth. In just 30 minutes, you’ll learn why posting isn’t enough—and what actually drives results. 

Visit and follow the ICF Ireland LinkedIn page for event details and more upcoming events!