LAST UPDATE | 14 Nov 2024

IF YOU’RE OUT and about in Dublin City Centre this evening, don’t be shocked if you happen to see a giant 20 metre newt meandering about the place.

While Dublin’s nightlife might be under threat, Dublin’s newt life will be thriving for the next few nights as Alf, a giant puppet of a smooth newt makes the city his temporary home.

An initiative of Science Week, Alf was created by Macnas, the groundbreaking performance company based in Galway. The theme of this year’s Science Week is Regeneration. 

This may refer to generative AI, regenerative medicines, or the need to regenerate the environments.

The giant puppet will appear on Capel Street at 7.30pm, and wind his way south over the Liffey, ending up at Dublin Castle. Expect plenty of beautiful lighting, a soundtrack and special effects along the way.

Alf’s creation was inspired by conversations around climate change and habitat loss. The need for regeneration of plant life, and of re-wilding large tracts of land, are seen as vitally important steps to tackle global heating.

Commenting on tonight’s event, Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society with  Research Ireland, said it was a way to spark interesting questions and conversation.

“Something like Alf is really about all of those important questions and it’s also about enjoyment,” she said.

“Hopefully for kids coming in they ask questions about why he’s here, and we have a story written for children about Alf.”

Alf, a 20m x 5m giant puppet of a Smooth Newt inspired by the current conversations around climate change and habitat loss FINTAN CLARKE Coalesce Ltd FINTAN CLARKE Coalesce Ltd

Newts are part of a group of what are known as ‘indicator species’. The health of a newt population in an area can be a indicator of the health of an environment. 

Smooth newts are the only type of newt found in Ireland. Regeneration also works for newts in repairing themselves when injured. Newts have the ability to regenerate their body parts, and can heal their tails, jaws, ears, hearts, spines, eyes and brains. 

Macnas said they drew inspiration for Alf from a fossil record of a “Tetrapod Trackway” on Valentia Island in Kerry. The trackway provides some of the earliest evidence of a land animal in the world.

Once Alf (hopefully fully intact) reaches Dublin Castle, he will remain there Friday and Saturday, where he can be visited by the public.

Science Week will run all week, and is supported by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, the newly formed research and innovation funding agency.