Limerick voices to feature at 2026 National Type 1 Diabetes Conference on Saturday, April 18

Aisling White and Jean Langford will represent Limerick at Thriveabetes 2026, Ireland’s only volunteer-led national Type 1 Diabetes conference

Thriveabetes 2026, Ireland’s only volunteer-led national Type 1 Diabetes conference, is organised by volunteers from across the country including Limerick advocates Jean Langford and Aisling White

Limerick will have a strong voice at this year’s Thriveabetes conference, with diabetes advocates Jean Langford and Aisling White contributing to the programme.

Jean Langford, originally from Caherdavin, Limerick and now based in Edinburgh, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 11. Now an NHS Diabetes Peer Support Worker, Jean works with people transitioning onto Hybrid Closed Loop technology and is a passionate advocate for peer support and equitable diabetes care.

She will speak about the power of sharing lived experiences through her session “Sharing Diabetes Stories: Changing the Narrative” and will also lead a practical workshop on navigating adulthood with Type 1 diabetes.

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Aisling White, a Limerick primary school teacher who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for almost 30 years, helped develop the conference’s Young Adult Programme. A long-time advocate for diabetes awareness, she is involved in the Limerick Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Support Group and Diabetes Ireland’s Advocacy Group.

Aisling also delivers professional development courses for school staff on supporting children with diabetes in the classroom.

Together, they represent the strong community-led diabetes advocacy emerging from Limerick.
The event is organised by volunteers living with Type 1 Diabetes from across Ireland, including strong involvement from the Limerick diabetes community.

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.

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.

Thriveabetes is for adults living with type 1, young adults age 16+ years, and parents of children with T1D from across Ireland with an expected attendance of 200 people from all over Ireland.  

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, with over 40 million views, who use humour and honesty to share their experience of living with the condition.

Diagnosed in childhood, Pete Davies has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for more than 69 years, making him one of the longest-living advocates in the global Type 1 community. His keynote talk will explore long-term health, resilience, changing technology and what he wishes every newly diagnosed person knew.

On that, Pete reflects, “New technology has changed my life but so has meeting others with Type 1. Climbing Kilimanjaro at 58 with 18 fellow Type 1s changed everything for me, we bonded immediately through shared experience. Before that, I didn’t really know anyone else living with the condition. Now I’m surrounded by friends who truly understand it, and we talk often.”

The Diabetic Duo: Beth McDaniel & Ellen Watsonfrom County Down, with almost 30,000 TikTok followers and more than 40 million views, Beth and Ellen, best friends, young professionals, and now first-time Thriveabetes speakers, will bring humour, fashion and everyday diabetes relatability to the stage. Their content is followed globally by young adults navigating Type 1 Diabetes with visibility and confidence.

This is their first live appearance in Dublin, marking a standout moment for young Irish adults with Type 1 seeking community and representation.

The programme combines lived experience with clinical expertise and covers topics such as insulin pumps, balance glucose and exercise, AI and diabetes tech, travelling with diabetes, and practical life hacks for living well with type 1.

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.

This Type 1 Diabetes Event takes place on Saturday, April 18, in The Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel, Northwood Park, Dublin 9, and includes an exhibition area featuring companies supplying diabetes technology, devices and supports.