The Group Analysis Symposium took place in Dublin on 18-21 August. The conference was attended by some 548 psychotherapists not only from Europe, but also Africa, Australia and North America, most of them working with the group analysis method. Delegates came from as far away as South Africa, Serbia and Montenegro, Taiwan and Kenya. The theme of this year's conference " Despair, Dialogue and Desire" referred to Ireland's dramatic history, its enslavement and desire for independence and the dialogue required to achieve it. The organisers encouraged people to analyse despair, dialogue and desire (desire) in group analysis work.