A national Type 1 Diabetes conference founded in Clare is set to bring major international speakers to Dublin this April.
Thriveabetes 2026, established by Clare women Gráinne Flynn and Christine Meehan, has grown from a small local peer-support group into Ireland’s only volunteer-led national conference for people living with Type 1 Diabetes.
The event takes place on Saturday, April 18th at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport and will welcome over 200 attendees from across the country. The conference will feature educational talks, panel discussions, opportunities to meet others living with the condition, and access to the latest diabetes technologies and devices. Tickets available at www.Thriveabetes.ie.
Among this year’s speakers is Pete Davies from the UK, who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for over 69 years, as well as popular TikTok creators, Beth McDaniel & Ellen Watson, aka The Diabetic Duo, who use humour and honesty to share their experience of living with the condition.
Approximately 30,000 people in Ireland live with Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune condition that requires individuals to take insulin multiple times every day through injections or an insulin pump because their pancreas produces little or no insulin. It also involved monitoring glucose, activity levels and ongoing education.
Ms Flynn, who was diagnosed over 30 years ago and first established a diabetes support group in Clare in 2007, said the conference remains rooted in the same community spirit that began in the county. “What started as a small support group in Clare has grown into a national conference,” says Clare co-founder Gráinne Flynn, diagnosed over 30 years ago. “To bring international voices together while staying rooted in community is something we’re incredibly proud of.”
Why this matters!
Many adults with Type 1 Diabetes report never having met another person with the condition. Thriveabetes exists to change that. The 2026 conference will welcome over 200 attendees for a day of connection, psychological support, shared lived experience and access to the latest technologies, including insulin pumps, CGMs and automated systems.
Thriveabetes continues to offer what many attendees say they struggle to find elsewhere: shared experience, understanding, emotional support and space to talk openly about life with Type 1 Diabetes.
Thriveabetes takes place on Saturday, 18th April, in The Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel, Santry and includes exhibition area featuring companies supplying diabetes technology, devices and supports. For more information, contact info@Thriveabetes.ie. Tickets are available from: www.Thriveabetes.ie. Further speaker announcements will follow in the coming weeks.
Thriveabetes was founded in 2015 and is run entirely by volunteers living with type 1 diabetes. Thriveabetes brings people together to share knowledge, experiences, and support in real-life settings.
The social enterprise was created by two Clare women living with Type 1 Diabetes, Gráinne Flynn and Christine Meehan.
Gráinne was diagnosed with diabetes at age 20, over thirty years ago. She created a diabetes support group in Clare in 2007 when she struggled to find the care and support, she needed to help her manage her diabetes, where she first met Christine.
Christine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in her 30s in 2006.