Adventures to Dunsink Observatory

One of our favourite events to run in Dublin Cycling Campaign is the Moon Cycle out to Dunsink Observatory, organised in collaboration with the folks in the Festival of Curiosity.

Having run the event in 2015 and 2016, we were delighted to revive the cycle in 2018 and guide a group of 50+ friends of the Campaign and the Curious folks through Phibsborough and onto the lovely Royal Canal tow path. This path links with Dunsink Lane at the top of which is the hidden gem of the Dunsink Observatory, part of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies. Many of our group mentioned that they had never before been out along the Royal Canal towpath beyond Ashtown or had visited Dunsink before - a proper adventure!

In Dunsink we were treated to some spoken word by Iggy McGovern and Richie Brennan and some wonderfully eclectic music performance by Cal Folger Day. This was followed by some reflections by Jonathon Mackey of DIAS and Niall Smith of CIT and Blackrock Castle Observatory on the history of astronomy in Ireland and on broader space science conundrums.

The cycling posse left en masse after midnight and wended its way back home through the magical Phoenix Park, ducking and diving between the fawns lit up by our bike lights.

A sincere thanks to everyone who came along on the night and to the Festival of Curiosity crew for organising the entertainment in Dunsink. We understand that 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings, and they have a pot of very exciting ideas brewing to mark these events. We hope to work with them again so watch this spot for news on fresh bicycling - astronomy collaborations in 2019.

If you cannot wait that long for more social cycles, then do come along to our Liffey Cycle Protest taking place at 11am on Sunday 12th August.

News Item
Tuesday, 31 July 2018 (All day)


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