No pain no gain: Dublin to host 12th European Pain Federation Congress

Dublin emerged from eight European contender destinations to clinch the bid to host the 12th European Pain Federation Congress (EFIC) in 2021. The congress will be held at The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) and organisers anticipate 3,000 multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers from the fields of pain science will attend. Delegates are also forecast to contribute over €4m to the local economy. Ireland has a long history in pain management research with the first subcutaneous injection administered for pain relief invented by Dublin doctor, Francis Rynd in 1844. The successful bid was presented to EFIC’s Executive Board in Brussels by Joanne O’Brien, President of the Irish Pain Society (IPS). The bid was all about teamwork with great support from Dublin Convention Bureau (DCB), Fáilte Ireland and The CCD, along with letters of support from both the Lord Mayor of Dublin and Minister for Health, Simon Harris. Speaking about bringing the congress to Dublin, O’Brien commented: “The Irish Pain Society is honoured to welcome the 12th EFIC to the vibrant city of Dublin… We are delighted that our own UCD Associate Professor Brona Fullen will be President of EFIC at this time, and together with the Scientific Chair, Professor Eija Kalso, will bring together the world’s leading experts to exchange knowledge, ideas and the latest advances in the field of pain science.” Adrienne Clarke, Head of Conference Sales at The CCD added: “We are looking forward to welcoming EFIC to Dublin after working closely with IPS, DCB and Fáilte Ireland. With over 75 pharmaceutical companies operating in Ireland, including the top ten in the world, Dublin is a great fit for this type of congress.”