Ednilson Lang, SHO, Otolaryngology, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Ireland
The 5th Annual Irish Head and Neck Society (IHNS) Conference took place once again with great success at the picturesque Kilkenny Convention Centre in May. The IHNS Conference has truly become Ireland’s premier multidisciplinary meeting, and this year welcomed 18 world-renowned international faculty guest speakers.
The meeting opened on Thursday 21 May, with a welcome address from the IHNS President, Professor Patrick Sheahan at the inaugural thyroid and parathyroid section. This section featured expert-led discussions from Neil Sharma, Ricard Simó, Mario Fernández-Fernández, Ronald Ghossein and Mark Zafereo. Topics ranged from intraoperative adjuncts in parathyroid surgery and molecular testing for indeterminate thyroid nodules, to advances in targeted therapies and the updated WHO classification of thyroid tumours. The day concluded with a networking reception, providing an excellent opportunity for delegates to reconnect with colleagues and establish new collaborations. 
Professor Mark Zafereo, Ms Fiona Eatock (President of BAETS), Professor Neil Sharma, Dr Marie-Louise Healy
Friday began with a powerful patient account of their head and neck cancer journey, setting the tone for a thought-provoking session on patient-centred care. Andreas Dietz, Terry Day and Grainne Brady highlighted the importance of advocacy, shared decision-making and patient engagement, before Nancy Lee delivered an outstanding keynote lecture on personalised treatment strategies for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Her presentation demonstrated how advances in tumour biology and risk stratification are increasingly enabling treatment to be tailored to individual patients.
The subsequent laryngeal session featured EHNS President, Giovanni Succo, as well as Isabel Vilaseca, and Andreas Dietz, who provided fascinating insights into transoral laser microsurgery, open partial laryngectomy and contemporary organ-preservation strategies. The afternoon plenary session, with presentations from Vincent Vander Poorten, Richard Shaw and Terry Day, exploring recurrent disease, osteoradionecrosis and salvage surgery.
James Griffin, Orla Young, Susie Downes
A particular highlight of the meeting was the ever-popular IHNS Tumour Board, where controversial cases were debated by an international panel of experts. The lively discussion reflected the collaborative spirit that has become synonymous with the IHNS. The day concluded with the renowned Congress Gala Dinner, allowing the opportunity for colleagues and friends to share a meal and continue conversation. The dinner was drawn to a close with the award of three educational grants by the European Head and Neck Society for promising Irish trainees, Eoin Cleere, Danielle James and Nadia Van Den Berg. The grants will allow these trainees to attend the upcoming EHNS Academy Course in Alba, Italy, in September 2026.
Saturday’s programme featured keynote lectures from Heath Skinner and Shreerang Bhide, alongside sessions from Emma Hallam, Miroslav Tedla and Justin Roe focusing on survivorship, dysphagia and the management of late treatment effects. The conference concluded with free paper presentations showcasing the outstanding quality of contemporary head and neck research. Awards for best oral and poster presentations were presented to Eoin Cleere (ST5, ENT) and Susie Downes (SLT) respectively.
For me, one of the most valuable themes throughout the conference was the emphasis on balancing oncological outcomes with long-term function and quality of life. The 2026 IHNS Conference was an outstanding educational experience and further cemented its reputation as a truly world-class multidisciplinary meeting.
