With the biggest programme yet to celebrate International Dark Sky Week, the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies Community Group has arranged a full week of free events for all the family to enjoy across the county.
Events include evenings of poetry, stargazing, storytelling, astronomy, magic and community lighting, there is something for everyone. The full week of events shows a fantastic collaboration between communities with new venues joining the celebrations this year such as Books at One in Louisburgh and Enniscoe House, Crossmolina.
Duncan Stewart, now patron of Mayo Dark Skies, will headline an event on community lighting in Hotel Newport on Saturday 6th April and this is just one of the events featured in this full programme.
The Dark Sky Communities of Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy are hosting key events to highlight the importance placed upon dark sky astrotourism.
The nighttime environment is a crucial natural resource for all life on Earth, but the glow of uncontrolled outdoor lighting has hidden the stars, radically changing the nighttime environment. International Dark Sky Week draws attention to the problems associated with light pollution with a series of evening events highlighting the beauty and benefits of a natural night sky.
“This year we have explored new avenues of the dark sky theme such as a poetry evening in the GN Mulranny Park Hotel featuring local writers, and a special guest visit from Gary Fildes to Ballycroy (Head of Northumberland’s Kielder Forest Obsevatory and author of ‘An Astronomer’s Tale’). The full programe is on our Facebook page (and below) and is a wonderful array of events showcasing the unique settings and venues across county Mayo” said Georgia MacMillan one of the organisers.
The week of events is supported by Mayo County Council and is in partnership with environmental groups: Leave No Trace, Climate Ambassadors Programme and Sustainable Energy Community.
International Dark Sky Week was created in 2003 by US high-school student Jennifer Barlow and has grown to become a worldwide event.
Events are free but prior registration required online via Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/international-dark-sky-week-in-mayo-31-march-7-april-2019-registration-57995614444
For More information contact [email protected] or 086 8595166.
