The Galway Astronomy Club

GAC January Meeting: by James Dire (Blinn College)
2025-01-06 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Talk: ‘The History of Innovations in Telescopes’
This talk will start with the invention of the telescope in the late 16th century and cover all of the innovative improvements in telescope designs for astronomical use from the 17th through 21st centuries. The talk will not only concentrate on the innovations, but also on the scientists and engineers responsible for the improvements throughout the centuries.
Speaker: Dr James R Dire (Blinn College)
Dr James Dire earned bachelors degrees in chemistry, physics and mathematics from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He went on to earn a MS degree in physics from the University of Central Florida and a MA degree in atmospheric science from The Johns Hopkins University. Subsequently he completed a PhD from Johns Hopkins in planetary astronomy. His dissertation was on the seasonal photochemistry in the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan.
After 23 years in the armed forces, which included duty as a physics and astronomy professor at both the US Naval Academy and the US Coast Guard Academy, Dr. Dire became a college administrator. He served as an associate provost at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Spring North Carolina and as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Hawaii’s campus on Kauai, and Chancellor of Methodist College in Peoria, IL. He currently is the Dean of Physical Sciences at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas.
Dr. Dire is a seasoned astronomical observer and astrophotographer. He has authored a deep space column in the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine since 2010 and is contributes myriad article to Astronomy Technology Today and Solar Astronomy Today. in Astronomy Technology Today. He is a past president of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and currently is a member of the Peoria Astronomical Society, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, and the Kauai Educational Association for Science and Astronomy.

Astrofest 2025
2025-02-08 09:30 - 18:00 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Full AstroFest 2025 details can now be found here https://www.galwayastronomyclub.ie/astrofest-2025/

Accommodation:
If you wish to avail of a reduced Astrofest rate when booking at the Menlo Park Hotel for the 7th & 8th February 2025,
please email reservations@menloparkhotel.com or call 091-761122 to make a reservation to receive the discount.
Make sure to mention you are attending the festival.

GAC February Meeting: by Dr Alexandra Ruth Fogg (DIAS)
2025-02-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our February club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 10th February in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Wind, Storms and Raining Particles: Earth’s Space Weather’
In this talk, Alexandra will discuss the “winds”, “storms” and “rains” of Earth’s Space Weather. We will start at the centre of the Solar System, where the Sun’s atmosphere bubbles and streams out. This solar “wind” crashes into planets throughout the solar system, driving “stormy” conditions which in turn drive all kinds of dynamics. We will explore famous space weather storms throughout Earth’s history, and the impacts they have had on human technology. Finally, particles which “rain” down on the Earth’s atmosphere dramatically drive the Earth’s aurora: it’s Northern and Southern lights, and similarly driver aurorae throughout the Solar System.

Speaker: Dr Alexandra Ruth Fogg (DIAS)
Alexandra is a Space Scientist working at DIAS Dunsink Observatory, a site of historical significance in Irish (and international) astronomy. She has always been passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and so completed her Physics degree with a specialism in space science and technology at the University of Leicester in 2016. With a passion for space physics, Alexandra completed a PhD on Earth’s Space Weather in 2020, which was a springboard for a career in space science.
Since 2020, Alexandra has worked in Dublin, researching Earth’s Space environment and Space Weather through many different avenues. She has also explored similarities and differences with the space environments of different planets of the solar system.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

Irish Astronomy Week 2025
2025-03-01 08:00 - 2025-03-08 21:00
Galway Astronomy Club are delighted to be participating in ‘Irish Astronomy Week’ again this year. We will be having our busiest year so far with events throughout the whole week.

Here are events happening in the Galway region

March 1st – Ballybane Library – 2:30pm – ‘An Introduction to Deep Sky Astrophotography’ by Brendan Spellman (GAC)
March 1st – Westside Library – 3:00pm – ‘Wonders of the Night Sky’ by John Keady (GAC)
March 3rd – Menlo Park Hotel – 7:30pm – ‘Irish Neolithic Art and Astronomy’ by Martin Byrne
March 4th – Galway City Library – 6:15pm – ‘Celtic Rock: Chasing Asteroids from Ireland’ by Dave McDonald
March 5th – Loughrea Public Library – 6:00pm – ‘Cosmic Wonders’ by Ronan Newman (IAW)
March 6th – Oranmore Library – 11:00am – ‘Photographing the Night Sky’ by Adrian Nolan (GAC)
March 6th – Saint Colman’s Church, Gort – 6:30pm – ‘Celtic Rock: Chasing Asteroids from Ireland’ by Dave McDonald
March 6th – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 7th – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 8th – Leabharlann an Spidéal – 3:00pm – ‘Aistear Réalteolaíochta‘ le Seán Ó Céide (GAC)

See more IAW 2025 events and news here: https://www.irishastronomyweek.ie/

GAC March Meeting: by Martin Byrne
2025-03-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our March club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 3rd March in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Talk: ‘Irish Neolithic Art and Astronomy’
Speaker: Martin Byrne
Martin Byrne is a Fáilte Ireland approved guide with 25 years experience of leading tours. He is also a traditional musician and loves to include musical interludes on his tours. Having taken up the fiddle twenty years ago, he now also play banjo and uillann pipes. Martin is an expert on ancient megalithic structures, particularly chambered cairns, and their astronomical alignments.
Martin has investigated Chambered Cairns – a type of ancient monument with internal chambers found on mountain tops and hills all across Ireland.
He originally became interested in these monuments for their wonderful megalithic engraved symbols, which are the oldest written ‘documents’ in Ireland. He has since been working on the solar and lunar alignments which illuminate interiors of monuments. Martin will shed some light on our early ancestors and their knowledge of Astronomy.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

GAC April Meeting: Aoife Rose Taylor (TCD)
2025-04-07 19:00 - 21:30
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our April club meeting, which will take place at 7.00 pm on Monday the 7th April in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

Please note earlier start time of 7:00pm – Main speaker starts promptly at 7:15pm!

Talk: ‘Strengthening science-society relationships through astronomy-art collaborations’
Humanity’s relationship with the Universe is not solely scientific – it is also deeply embedded in culture. Throughout history, communities around the globe have looked to the stars to make sense of the world around them, to guide them on journeys, to inspire stories that pass on knowledge from generation to generation, and to simply enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Art can provide us with new perspectives that unlock, explore and strengthen relationships between science and society, and offer inclusive ways for citizens to critically engage with scientific topics and research. With major socio-scientific crises and a pandemic of misinformation facing our planet, strengthening these relationships has never been more vital. In this talk, I will present examples of astronomy-art (and science) collaborations that cover topics from preserving and celebrating indigenous knowledge, to using satellite imagery to evoke active citizenship, and all with the aim of engaging their audience with the wonders of science and its role within society.

Speaker: Aoife Rose Taylor (TCD)
Aoife studied an undergraduate degree in Physics and Astronomy, and then went on to do a 2 year masters; 1 year of astronomy and 1 year of science communication. She worked in the Old Observatory at Leiden University, the Netherlands where she was an exhibition and event co-ordinator, focusing on art-astronomy collaborations. Aoife then moved to Trinity College Dublin to focus more on science communication (both research and practice) and is now undertaking a professional doctorate in the area of inclusive science communication.

New members and attendees are very welcome.
We look forward to your company.

GAC May Meeting: by Adrian Nolan (GAC) - followed by our club AGM
2025-05-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our May club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 12th May in the Menlo Park Hotel, Terryland, Galway.

This is our last meeting of our current season and we will have:

Our AGM where club members can voice their opinions on all things club related. Our AGM will offer members the opportunity to join the new club committee for next season.
An interesting talk by club member Adrian Nolan on ‘Photography’. More details below.
Our usual sky diary. Where we will discuss what is up in the night sky and upcoming events.
Free tea and coffee on the night and we invite everyone to stay and have a chat before we break up for the summer.

May meeting speaker.
Talk: ‘Photography – Terrestrial and Cosmic’
Most of you will now be familiar with Adrian’s wonderful photography over the last few years, where he has captured the wonders of the night sky from around Connemara and Galway City. He has also shown some of the wonderful Nature photographs and some interesting city photos too. Adrian will be discussing his techniques and will be happy to answer your photography questions.
Speaker: Adrian Nolan (GAC)
Award winning photographer Adrian Nolan is originally from Cork. He joined the Galway Astronomy Club after moving to Salthill. Adrian can often be found travelling through Connemara or the streets of Galway to capture his wonderful images. He has been sharing his amazing work with us on our social channels for the last few years.
All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC Daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site - June 21st 2025
2025-06-21 09:00 - 18:00 | Loughcrew Cairns, Co. Meath, Ireland
Galway Astronomy Club are delighted to announce details of our club daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site in June.
Galway Astronomy Club are organising a daytrip to Loughcrew Megalithic Site this coming June.
We will be getting a guided tour by Anthony Murphy on Saturday June 21st (The Summer Solstice).
Places will be made available on a first come first served basis.
Destination: Loughcrew Megalithic Site.
Details: Transfer to and from Loughcrew and a guided tour by Anthony Murphy.
Time/Date: June 21st 2025 – times to be confirmed
Cost: €60 p/p
Pickup/Drop off: Galway City – exact locations to be confirmed.
We may be adding a stop or two to this trip and we will confirm this closer to the time, any additional costs would be extra.
Please make payment either at our last club meeting on May 12th or by the booking link below.
We expect tickets to sell fast so if you are interested in joining us please don’t delay.
Best regards.
Galway Astronomy Club Committee

GAC September meeting: Guest speaker: Brian MacGabhann
2025-09-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our September club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 1st September in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘On the shoulders of Giants: The story of our attempts to understand the cosmos. ‘
We are so used to growing up with the knowledge that those strange lights in the night sky are stars and planets that it is difficult to picture how confusing and terrifying they must have appeared to our early ancestors. Armed with nothing more than their eyes and their imaginations our forbears slowly groped towards an understanding of what was above them. This is the story of that five thousand year journey, from the builders of the monuments of Newgrange and Stonehenge, to the astronomers of Babylon and Greece, through the fierce disputes of the Middle Ages and on in to the modern era of Space stations and Lunar landings. Along the way we’ll encounter a host of fascinating characters and stories; such as Aristarchus of Samos, who accurately measured the circumference of the Earth using two wooden sticks; and the mad Danish nobleman Tycho Brahe, who lost his nose in a sword fight and built a vast observatory on an underground Island; some of the giants on whose shoulders we now stand.

Speaker: Brian MacGabhann
Brian MacGabhann began amateur astronomy at the age of 14. He is the former education and outreach officer with Galway Astronomy Club, and later club chair. Brian helped organise the Galway Astronomy Festival for several years. He is the founder and resident lecturer with the Renmore History Society in Galway. He has lectured extensively to clubs and groups throughout Ireland, including giving lectures at Dunsink Observatory, and the Kerry and Mayo Dark Sky festivals and of course previously here at the Galway Astronomy Festival.

GAC October Meeting with James Fradgley MSc. FRAS UK
2025-10-06 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our October club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 6th October in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: “Comets – What they are, where they come from?”
In this talk James will describe the make-up and structure of the Comets that inhabit our Solar System. He will talk about some history, effects and threat to Earth from collisions of comets with Earth. He will discuss the formation of the solar system and the Oort cloud where long period Comets originate, as well as the Kuiper Belt where short period comets originate. He will also talk generally about myths and legends associated with comets.

Speaker: James Fradgley MSc FRAS UK
James Fradgley has a background in physics and astronomy. After an unrelated career he has returned to astronomy in his retirement. He is an experienced speaker who has given talks on many astronomy related subjects, all packed with interesting information. He has served as Chair of the Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies (SAGAS) as well as having roles in several other groups. James is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Galway Science and Technology Exhibition 2025
2025-11-09 10:00 - 17:00
It is that time of year again! The Galway Science and Technology Exhibition 2025 takes place in the University of Galway on Sunday November 10th. The Galway Astronomy Club will be there again with our usual stand to share the wonders of astronomy with the public.
This is a really fun event and is such a rewarding experience to share the wonders of the universe with the inquisitive young and not so young! We have had fantastic days at this exhibition in the past and are really looking forward to taking part again.
Stop by and say hello if you are at the exhibition, and if you would like to volunteer an hour or so to help out, please contact the club, you would be very welcome.

Exhibition details can be found here: https://galwayscience.ie/

GAC November Meeting with Prof Emeritus Andrew Shearer (University of Galway)
2025-11-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our November club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 10th November in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘What we still don’t know : what should we know in 20 years’ time’
Astrophysics and cosmology is at a turning point with a number of problems which hopefully will be addressed in the next 20 years. These problems include big questions. What is the nature of dark energy and dark matter? What does the Hubble tension tell us? Is there life outside the Earth: In our solar system? Around other stars? For my own research questions include what causes fast radio bursts? Will we ever develop a full understanding about how pulsars work?
This talk will address these problems firstly by laying out what we don’t know and what observations have taken place over the last 20 years to address them. The talk will then go onto look at the new observatories, instruments and space missions designed to address them.

Speaker: Prof Emeritus Andrew Shearer (U of G)
Professor Emeritus Andrew Shearer’s main interest is in studies of objects which change on short timescales – such as pulsars. He has made observations with most of the world’s major observatories. With others at NUIG he has developed instrumentation, GASP, to study the optical polarisation from pulsars. For over twenty years Andy Shearer has been involved in a number of public engagement and outreach events. The main thrust of his work has been to bring astronomy (and Physics) to a much wider community.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC December Meeting with Prof. Martin Hendry (University of Glasgow)
2025-12-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our December club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 1st December in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

PLUS – Our Christmas raffle draw will be taking place on the night. Details and ticket purchase below!
(Raffle tickets will also be on sale on the night)

Talk: ‘Listening to Einstein’s Universe: The Dawn and Exciting Future of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the cosmos predicted by Albert Einstein more than 100 years ago and produced by some of the most extreme phenomena in the universe: exploding stars, colliding black holes, even the Big Bang itself. To detect them has required the construction of the most sensitive scientific instruments ever built: giant laser interferometers capable of measuring tiny changes in the curvature of space, less than a millionth millionth the width of a hair. Such technology may sound like science fiction, yet these remarkable instruments are now routinely detecting the spacetime ripples from colliding black holes billions of light years from the Earth.
Join University of Glasgow scientist and “black hole hunter” Professor Martin Hendry for a whistle-stop tour through the exciting new field of gravitational-wave astronomy: the ground-breaking discoveries that Martin and his colleagues are making, the remarkable engineering and technology that has enabled them, and how they are helping us to tackle some of the biggest mysteries of Einstein’s universe.

Speaker: Prof Martin Hendry (University of Glasgow)
Martin Hendry is Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Glasgow, where he is also Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University. He is a senior member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration: the global team of more than 1500 scientists who, with their colleagues in the Virgo Collaboration, made the first ever detection of gravitational waves – a discovery awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics. Martin is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is also a Fellow (and currently Vice-President) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – Scotland’s National Academy. He is a passionate advocate for science education and communication and in 2015 he was awarded the MBE for services to the public understanding of science.

Prof Hendry will be joining us by video link on the night.

Our raffle draw will take place on the night – you can purchase tickets below. Prizes include

Meade ETX-70 GoTo Telescope

Galway Astronomy Club membership for 2025/2026

Free Admission to the Galway AstroFest on Saturday, January 31st, 2026.

plus a number of other prizes to be added on the night.

Tickets cost €5.00 each, (with 1 free ticket for purchases of 4-7 tickets, 2 free tickets for purchases of 8-11 tickets and so on)

GAC January Meeting with Amy Flanagan (Newport Astronomy Club)
2026-01-05 19:30 - 2026-01-06 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our January club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 5th January in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘How to build a Moon Garden’
As we will soon be heading into spring, what better time to think about transforming your outdoor space to enhance your night viewing experience!
A moon garden is a special garden designed to be enjoyed at night, featuring white or pale flowers, silver foliage, and night-blooming plants that reflect moonlight, creating a serene, glowing, and magical atmosphere perfect for quiet reflection or evening entertaining. Key elements include plants that “pop” in low light (like white roses, silver-leaved hostas), strong scents, water features, and sometimes subtle lighting, all creating a peaceful retreat after dark.
Amy’s talk is aimed at helping you bring colour and fragrance to your gardens at night, enriching your astronomy experience with diverse flora and fauna, while also supporting our native nocturnal pollinators, and giving a much needed boost to our biodiversity.

Speaker: Amy Flanagan (Newport Astronomy Club)
Amy is the Newport Astronomy Club Secretary. She moved to Newport, and quickly fell in love with the beautiful little town. She has recently switched her working focus from biomedical engineering, in order to commit herself full time to her passion for conservation, and has recently been appointed as the Project Administrator for Mayo Dark Skies, in association with Leave No Trace.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

Galway Astrofest 2026
2026-01-31 09:30 - 18:00 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astrofest 2026 ‘Our Closest Star’
Saturday January 31st
Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway

Link to Festival Page here https://www.galwayastronomyclub.ie/astrofest-2026/

GAC February Meeting with Ivan Merrick (Midlands Astronomy Club)
2026-02-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our February club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 9th of February in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘The Herouni Antenna’
The Orgov Radio-Optical Telescope, also known as ROT54 or the Her0uni Mirror Radio Telescope, is a radio telescope in Orgov Armenia. It was built between 1975 and 1985 and was active between 1986 and 1990 before its use was halted. It was again operational until ceasing in 2012. Subsequently, many attempts have been made to restore and restart the ROT54.
The paragraph above, though an accurate description, hardly does justice to the fascinating tale behind this telescope and the intriguing connections that will be revealed in the story that unfolds in this presentation. A story of history, politics and science.

Speaker: Ivan Merrick (Midlands Astronomy Club)
Ivan currently lives in Athlone though he is originally from Cork City. He owns a small engineering company specialising in providing clients with solutions to fluid handling problems (liquids and gases). He has qualifications in Natural Science and Chemical Technology. Ivan is an active member of the Midland Astronomy Club and past Club Chairperson. The Club is focused on outreach to the community, particularly young people, with the aim to inform and educate people on the wonders of the Cosmos. With bi-monthly meetings in Tullamore and monthly meetings in Athlone they are kept busy. They are frequently requested to give talks to community organisations which affords them the opportunity to instruct people in the use of telescopes and conduct observations using the club’s telescopes. With BBQs and Meteor Showers events it is a wonder how everything gets done. Ivan does a monthly astronomy slot in his local radio station Athlone Community Radio. MAC’s annual COSMOS Star Party is extremely popular (in existence since 1992) with many people attending from other clubs around the country. Ivan’s astronomical interest is in Solar science and specifically how the sun’s activity impacts the Earth. He particularly enjoys talking to groups where he can share what he has learnt and the follow-up questions and discussion.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC March Meeting with Prof. Colin Steele (University of Manchester)
2026-03-02 19:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our March club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 2nd of March in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘The solar neighbourhood – a guide to the nearest stars’
The area of the galaxy where the Sun currently resides can be considered as a fairly typical area of the galaxy. This talk will consider the stars within 5 parsecs of the Sun, concentrating on those with particular characteristics e.g. the Alpha Centauri and Sirius systems, Barnard’s star and the home of Mr Spock from Star Trek. The talk is not so much of a list as an opportunity to mention many of the characteristics of stars. Woven into the talk are references to measuring distances to stars and the appearance of the Sun and other stars from the stars concerned. The talk will conclude with some thoughts on the status of the Sun in the neighbourhood and the Galaxy.

Speaker: Prof. Colin Steele (University of Manchester)
Inspired by early events including Apollo Moon landings.
Bought small telescope 1972.
Joined Dundee AS, 1978.
Studied Mathematics and Astronomy and Astrophyics, St Andrews University, 1982-1986.
PhD in Applied Mathematics (Dynamics of Solar Prominences), 1986-1990.
Teaching of Mathematics to students in many parts of University of Manchester, since 1993.
Studies into Equilibria and Stability of Structures in solar atmosphere Dynamics of orbits of Trojan Asteroids.
Observations of e.g. Meteors, Noctilucent Clouds etc.
Joined Dundee AS, 1978. BAA 1985, Many other societies. Member of IAU.
Active in BAA Meteor section mid-1980s onwards Scottish Astronomers Group President 1991-1993
Speaker at various astronomical societies.
Currently resident in Dore, Sheffield. Married with 2 youngsters.

Prof Steele will be joining us by video link on the night.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

Irish Astronomy Week 2026
2026-03-20 08:00 - 2026-03-28 21:00
Galway Astronomy Club are delighted to be participating in ‘Irish Astronomy Week’ again this year. We will be having our busiest year so far with events throughout the whole week.

Here are events happening in the Galway region

March 21st – Clifden Library – 11:00pm – ‘Valuing our Dark Sky’ by Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig (CDS)
March 21st – Ballybane Library – 2:30pm – ‘Wonders of the Night Sky’ by John Keady (GAC)
March 21st – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 24th – Galway City Library – 6:00pm – ‘My Astrophotography Journey: Under Irish Skies’ by Adrian Nolan (GAC)
March 25th – Ballinasloe Library – 11:00am – ‘Of Planets and Asteroids’ by Dave McDonald
March 25th – Loughrea Library – 6:00pm – ‘Of Planets and Asteroids’by Dave McDonald
March 25th – Salthill Promenade – 7:00pm – ‘Planet & Moon Watch’ – Weather Permitting!
March 26th – Saint Colmans Church, Gort – 6:00pm –‘My Local Story of Astrophotography & The Night Sky’ – Enda O’Loughlin
March 28th – Oranmore Library – TBC – ‘Gathering Ancient Light: A Journey into the Deep Sky‘ by Brendan Spellman (GAC)

See more IAW 2026 events and news here: https://www.irishastronomyweek.ie/

GAC April Meeting with Clodagh Doyle (National Museum of Ireland)
2026-04-13 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our April club meeting, which will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday the 13th of April in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway.

Talk: ‘Folklore of the Night Sky – How the skies have influenced our everyday folk culture’.
This talk will take us on a journey through time and locations as Clodagh discusses the deep connection between our culture and the night sky. An interesting insight into the beliefs people held about the importance and influences of the heavenly bodies. With some wonderful stories and valuable terminology in English and Irish passed down to us through time.
Speaker: Clodagh Doyle, Keeper, Irish Folklife Division
Clodagh Doyle has been working with the Irish Folklife Collection of the National Museum of Ireland since 1995 and is now based at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the fourth site of the National Museum of Ireland.
She has a degree in Irish Folklore and Archaeology and her MA thesis is on the subject of Traditional Hearth Furniture.
As a long-serving curator she had responsibilities for the Calendar Customs, Religion, Sport & Leisure, Childhood, Textiles, Ceramics & Glass Collections.
She worked in the National Museum of Ireland’s Dublin sites and on the inaugural exhibitions at the NMI – Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks, Dublin. She played a pivotal role in the inception, development and installation of the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life and the move of the Irish Folklife Collection to its new store and galleries in Co. Mayo in 2001.
She curated many of the permanent gallery displays at the NMI – Country Life and also curated over thirty temporary exhibitions, two of which, Down Memory Lane and Hair Hurling Balls have travelled throughout Ireland.
With a love for folklore, ethnology, objects and the Museum, Clodagh was appointed Keeper of the Irish Folklife Division in 2020.

All are welcome and we look forward to your company.

GAC May Meeting with Georgia MacMillan(Mayo Dark Skies) + AGM
2026-05-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Details to follow:
