Mayo Dark Sky Festival
Fiona got in touch to let us know what we can expect at this year's Mayo Dark Sky Festival 1-3 November...
Dear Parents,
Firstly, I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you, and especially your children, for the wonderful and unforgettable send-off when I retired. Their songs, poems, smiles and hugs will, I know, bring a smile to my face for many years to come!
While I have retired from school life, I am keeping busy with the upcoming Mayo Dark Sky Festival, which takes place at the end of the mid-term break 1-3 November. While the festival always attracts a lot of visitors to the town, I wanted to be sure that local families also get to enjoy the events, so here are just some of the events you might be interested in...
For kids & families...
As always at the Mayo Dark Sky Festival, children under 16 get in free to all of the formal talks in Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy (no need to book). As well as that, we have...
SIX guided planetarium shows each day in Newport National School, hosted by Blackrock Castle Observatory (FREE)
A Lego workshop for children in Mulranny Arts Centre on Saturday (€5)
A Water Rocket workshop hosted by Science Ireland's Declan Holmes on Sunday (€5)
A guided Seashore Safari on Mulranny Beach on Sunday morning (€2)
Weather permitting, we will also host guided free stargazing sessions at Burrishoole Abbey from 8-9pm both Friday and Saturday evenings (FREE)
We will finish with a flourish with our Festival Finale - Join us for our traditional annual LANTERN WALK from Main Street Newport to St Patricks Church for an amazing concert performance by the AVOCA STRING QUARTET, featuring a star themed programme of music by Beethoven, Debussy, Holst, John Williams, Pink Floyd and David Bowie! (FREE for children and festival ticket holders, others €15 – book online or pay at the door)
For lovers of science and astronomy...
Brendan Owens has the fun job of looking back at Star Trek, exploring the science behind over 58 years of treknology including the transporter, replicator, tricorder and of course the warp drive. It's all sure to be... "fascinating"!
Brian MacGabhann will examine the evidence for how prevalent extra-terrestrial life in a talk entitled 'Is There Anybody Out There?
Fusion engineer and science communicator Leah Morgan will delve into the remarkable world of fusion energy engineering, where scientists are revolutionizing our global energy landscape by trying to build a star in a doughnut
Festival Favourite Dr. Niall Smith will examine the legacy of Carl Sagan. From Pale Blue Dots to Spirituality, his quotes and insights still have resonance today - perhaps even more than when they were crafted
Derek Dempsey will take a look back at NASA's space shuttle programme, which lasted 30 years, launched hundreds of astronauts into space, and built the International Space Station -but at what cost?
For lovers of the great outdoors, culture & biodiversity...
Jonathan Shackleton, cousin of the great explorer Ernest Shackleton, will ask the burning question: "What was the attraction of Antarctica for Ernest Shackleton, why have I and many others wished to follow in his footsteps"?
Meteorologist and author Joanna Donnelly of Met Éireann and RTE explains the history and the science behind the Sea Area Forecast. Join her for what promises to be a lively and interesting talk as she gives a peak behind the scenes of her nearly three decades at Met Éireann.
Archaeologist Marion Dowd will discuss the discovery in 2016 (by the now head guide of Wild Nephin National Park and past pupil of Newport NS Michael Chambers) of a boulder chamber on Bengorm Mountain, with human bones on the cave floor, which subsequently revealed that the cave had been used during Neolithic times, about 5,500 years ago, for mortuary rituals.
Content Creator and Adventurer Joshua Nueva will talk about how he captured images of one of the greatest Northern Lights displays that Ireland has seen in recent years in May 2024. He captured these from the cave at Downpatrick Head at 2.30am which can only be accessed under specific tide conditions.
Up and coming biodiversity specialist Colin Guilfoyle from Mulranny, will talk about the ecological restoration efforts in Wild Nephin National Park, and the effects of earlier restoration attempts on many of our iconic peatland bird species, such as red grouse and golden plover.
I hope some of the above will be of interest. There are lots of ticket options on the website, but I would strongly recommend booking the Lego and Rocket workshops in advance, as these are filling up fast and there is limited capacity. If you just want to pop your head in to one or two individual talks, you can just pay at the door on the day, and, with six planetarium shows a day in the school hall, there is no need to book, you can just turn up and if the dome is full, just wait for the next show!
I am attaching the Festival Programme and the Concert Programme
Link to website: www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie
Many many thanks for your support, and I hope to see some of you at the festival!
Fiona
Comments