The Galway Astronomy Club

GAC January Meeting with Amy Flanagan (Newport Astronomy Club)
2026-01-05 19:30 - 2026-01-06 21:30 UTC | 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 19:00 - 21:30 | Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill, Galway, H91 H29F
Galway Astronomy Club are pleased to announce details of our May club meeting, which will take place at 7.00 pm on Monday the 11th May in the Ardilaun Hotel, Taylors Hill 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 Georgia MacMillan on ‘Dark Skies’. 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.
Eclipse glasses will be for sale for the upcoming Solar Eclipse on the 12th of August.

May meeting speaker.
Talk: ‘Night vision – a decade of dark skies in Mayo’
Georgia will discuss the efforts that went into achieving a dark sky status for the Ballycroy region of Mayo which began over 10 years ago. She will also discuss the importance of dark skies for us all, not just for astronomy but for nature and humans also.
Speaker: Georgia MacMillan (Mayo Dark Skies)
Georgia is a Mayo Dark Sky Park Development Officer. Her research explores darkness and dark skies in Irish society and as a vehicle for sustainable tourism. Georgia is a keen stargazer and hiker, with a passion for the outdoors.
All are welcome and we look forward to your company.
