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Dublin launches year as European City of Science

File photo from the govt's calls for proposals for Dublin City of Science.
File photo from the govt's calls for proposals for Dublin City of Science.
Image: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

A YEAR-LONG celebration of science through art and culture has been launched in Dublin this morning by Minister Richard Bruton and Dara O’Briain.

Dublin has been designated the City of Science for 2012, which carries a programme of over 160 science-related events throughout the year.

The functions being planned include the St Patrick’s festival and parade, photography exhibitions, a fashion show, street performances, and science buskers. A number of events will also take place outside the city in Galway, Waterford, Cork and Sligo, according to the organisers.

Dublin will also host the Euroscience Open Forum - Europe’s largest science conference – in July. The forum is held every two years in a different city, and over 5,000 people are expected to visit Ireland for the event.

At this morning’s launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague said the city had a “great scientific history” and the City of Science designation is “about celebrating our yesterdays, today, tomorrow and beyond”.

Minister Bruton said: “Dublin City of Science is a great opportunity for Ireland to show the world that we truly are a centre of scientific excellence.”

In the following video, the chief scientific advisor Prof Patrick Cunningham tells Enda Kenny that Dublin was chosen as the City of Science 2012 after six months was spent preparing the Irish bid:

(Video via MerrionStreetNews)

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Comments (4 Comments)

  • LoyalIrish Citizen 27 days ago #
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    I wonder who these people are and why designated Dublin City of Science for 2012 and what the actual bid was?

    Maybe they don’t appreciate that financing pretentious American corporations with unlimited funds does not create scientist. Nobody can purchase intelligence by funding the yanks. Funding the yanks has asset stripped Ireland and left us insolvent.

    Hard work, time, books and education create scientist. Maybe these people should come and meet us first.

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    • Peter Carroll 27 days ago #
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      What a miserable begrudger you are. Celebrate science. Celebrate the achievements of our young people at the recent Young Scientist of the year. Celebrate the achievements of the distinguished Irish scientists of the past three centuries.

      Of course scientific knowledge isn’t acquired easily, no one has said otherwise. Look to the future and recognise that Irelands future, like the rest of Europe’s, will be tied to scientific development and it’s commercial and practical applications.

    • LoyalIrish Citizen 27 days ago #
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      @Peter Carroll: If Politicians had kept the resources for the Irish and invested in Irish People then you would have something to celebrate.

      Emigration shows what Ireland does to talent. How many people have left because they will not have a future here?

  • Adam Magari 27 days ago #
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    City of Science celebrated in one of the most bankrupt countries in Europe. Makes sense no doubt. How many company insolvencies occurred since this project got under way? Haven’t taxpayers been rode enough by all this R&D spin?

    Reply

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