The seventh Annual Conference of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, RCPI and RCSI was held from 17-18 September 2010. More ...

Approximately 120 leading medical professionals attended the meeting, which was opened by sports journalist and author, Mr Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.

Dr Joe Conway, Sports Medicine Physician and joint Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, said: "This conference provides a great opportunity for authors to present their hard work and for delegates to advance their knowledge in the field of sports and exercise medicine. This year, with Dublin as the designated European Capital of Sport 2010, we have decided to focus on the health of athletes and team members across the spectrum from elite professional sportspeople to amateurs who just want to remain active."

With a focus on issues relating to sport and exercise amongst athletes, some of the topics discussed by national and international speakers at this years meeting included sports psychology, supplements and hydration in sport, and anti-doping. A new team physician session was introduced at this year’s conference, which included a lecture on the roles and responsibilities of a team physician delivered by Dr Gary O’Driscoll, Arsenal Football Club doctor.

Among the speakers at the two-day conference were: 

• Mr Gerry Hussey, ‘The Place of Psychology in Sport and Teams’
  Mr Hussey works at the forefront of elite sport across a range of international disciplines. His work with the Irish Olympic Boxing team has been well documented as one of the cornerstones behind their medal winning display at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. He has worked with the Munster Rugby team and some of Ireland’s top international athletes who have excelled at recent world and European Athletic championships. As a passionate advocate for Gaelic Games, he has also been acknowledged by a number of All-Star winning GAA players. 
• Dr Una May, ‘Anti-doping Update’
  Dr May has worked with the Irish Sports Council in 1998 and has managed the Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping Program since 2001. She has been a member of a team of Independent Observers appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency to monitor the anti-doping programme at the UCI cycling world championships in 2001, the Olympic Games in both Athens (2004) and Turin (2006) and also chaired the team of independent observers at the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki 2005 and the World Games in Taiwan 2009. 

During the conference, Honorary Fellowships of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, RCPI and RCSI will be presented to Mr John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council and Irish Olympic silver medallist, and to Professor Peter Fowler, renowned international author and orthopaedic surgeon from University of Western Ontario, Canada.