COUNTDOWN ON!
Here are just SOME of the highlights you can expect at the Mayo Dark Skies Festival from 1 – 3 November in Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy…
*Opening Night in Ballycroy Visitor Centre of Wild Nephin National Park will feature award-winning musicians fiddle player Julie Langan and harpist Laoise Kelly, along with refreshments and (weather permitting) – dark sky walk in the Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park with stargazing along the way.
*On Saturday in Mulranny you can enjoy a writer’s workshop with Anna Levin and be the first to hear an extract from her new book on Dark Skies (Mulranny Arts Centre), get an update on the incredible work of Colin Guilfoyle’s PhD project on Habitat Restoration in Wild Nephin National Park or hear of the amazing adventures with a behind the scenes talk from photographer and content creator Joshua Nueva. Saturday night in Mulranny you can enjoy our ever popular gala dinner.
In Ballycroy you can hear from Marian Dowd who will present a fascinating look at the excavation of a neolithic mortuary site on Bengorm Mountain, take a nature and local history walk at the Visitor Centre and enjoy a gallery of Mayo Aurora taken by some amazing astrophotographers and the National Park visitor experience, sensory trail and outdoor classroom activities.
Meantime in Newport, we have a great line-up of speakers and performers.as well as talks about the space shuttle programme, an amazing talk inspired by Carl Sagan with Dr Niall Smith, hear the latest news from Ireland’s Eirsat-1 satellite,- or visit the mobile planetarium with the team from Blackrock Castle Observatory.
*Sunday events in Ballycroy feature the incredible stories of Jonathan Shackleton on his expeditions to Antarctica, whilst in Mulranny you can engage in an introductory talk, listening session, with soundscape artist Anne Marie Deacy as well as include a rocket workshop for children, a seashore safari, a talk on the science of weather forecasting Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly of Met Éireann. In Newport you can take part in a multi-sensory workshop on ‘What does space smell like?’ and a brilliant talk on the science and the fiction of Star Trek from Brendan Owens.
To bring the festival to a close, the annual Lantern Walk to St Patrick’s Church Newport, where the amazing Avoca String Quartet will perform ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, featuring the music of Holst, Debussy, John Williams, David Bowie, Hans Zimmer and Pink Floyd!
Many free events such as guided planetarium shows, and, as always, children under 16 go free! Get your tickets now and join in for an unforgettable experience. Visit the website for details. www.mayodarkskypark.ie
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