November 2019

The 2019 Mayo Dark Sky Festival will take place from Friday 1st November to Sunday 3rd November at various locations around Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy.

All astronomy lovers will enjoy this unique weekend of the three-day feast of talks, workshops, walks and stargazing celebrating all aspects of Mayo’s dark sky history.

The festival features 13 talks by world class experts in astronomy, science, culture and environment and 14 fun, family friendly activities catering for all ages.

This year speakers will be:

• Dr. ROBERT THIRSK, Astronaut.

• Prof. MARK McCAUGHREAN, Senior Advisor for Science and Exploration, ESA; 'Once Explorers, always Explorers’.

• ÉANNA Ní LAMHNA, Botanist and Broadcaster.

• Dr. NIALL SMITH, Head of Research CIT and founder member of Blackrock Castle Observatory.

• Dr. NORAH PATTEN, International Space University.

• GARY FILDES, Kielder Observatory.

• Dr. NIELS WARBURTON, Royal Society - SFI University Research Fellow at UCD; 'Black Hole Astronomy’.

• Dr. NIAMH SHAW, Engineer and Analogue Astronaut; 'Return to the Moon’.

• DECLAN HOLMES, Physicist, Science Ireland; 'Become a Planet Champion' Workshop’.

• Dr. NIALL O'CONNOR, Newport Astronomy Club, 'No Solids Please (or Liquids or Gases) - Why plasma is the most important state of matter in the universe’.

• ADRIAN LANGAN, Journalist and PR Consultant.

• DEREK DEMPSEY, Chairman, Newport Astronomy Club; 'From an Earth- to a Sun-centred Universe’,

The Vocal Ensemble SYSTIR will open the night and DAN O'DONOGHUE, Magician and Storyteller with Terra Firma Ireland will take part in the event.

Visitors will appreciate over 15000 hectares of Mayo’s pristine night-time skies.