iSCAN Newsletter
Vol. 7 December 1998

The ICSTI Statement

On 3 November the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation issued a statement on 'Science, Technology and Innovation Culture' on the occasion of Science Week Ireland. The Council was established by the Government and Forfás to advise on science, technology and innovation and it is chaired by Dr Edward Walsh, the former president of the University of Limerick.

The four-page statement reviews the opportunities and challenges which science and technology present to society. It emphasises the need for a better understanding of scientific and technological issues and of the scientific method itself. It advocates improved awareness of STI issues by more use of the media, by reform of science teaching in schools and by the co-operation of professional bodies. It makes the following recommendation about a network of science centres:

"Almost every country in Europe, with the exception of Ireland, has science centres, through whose exhibits children and adults can explore developments in science and the products and processes of technology and engineering. A network of science centres around the country, each with its own specialist area and with its own outreach activities for schools, would be an invaluable support for science education and for the promotion of greater awareness of science and technology. ICSTI recommends an allocation of £0.5 million should be made in 1999 to support the development of a plan for a network of science centres (including feasibility study, consultancy etc.) with a view to securing EU, private sector and government funding for its implementation."

The full text of the statement is available at http://www.forfas.ie/report/culture.htm

The Galway Meeting

TThe iSCAN Autumn '98 meeting took place in NUI-Galway on Saturday, 31 October by kind invitation of Prof. Paul Ryan. The geological theme of the meeting was 'Stories in Stone' and the keynote speaker was Mr Roy Hawkey of the Natural History Museum in London. As part of Science Week in Galway, Mr Hawkey gave a public lecture in the Cairnes Theatre of the university on the Friday evening with the title 'What on Earth?: making sense of our Planet'. Mr Hawkey's visit to Galway was kindly supported by the British Council.

The iSCAN meeting was opened by Mr Noel Treacy T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce in the James Mitchell geological museum of NUI-Galway on the Saturday morning. About thirty people attended the meeting and summaries of the talks are given below.

The Tourist Potential of Old Mines in Ireland
by Dr Martin Critchley, Mining Heritage Society of Ireland

The mining of lead and zinc ores has contributed much to the present day economy of Ireland. But these modern mines are the culmination of a long and varied mining heritage throughout the length and breadth of the country. Abandoned mines can be seen in almost every county of Ireland. Often such mine sites are seen as environmental blots on the landscape which should be erased and cleaned-up. However, old mine sites are an integral part of Ireland's cultural heritage and thus should be treated with the same respect as the other remaining features of Ireland's past. Rather than destroying mining features, their preservation offers opportunities for education, appreciation and tourism.

The tourism potential of old mines has been recognised in many parts of the world. In the UK there are presently over twenty underground tourist mines and at least ten other tourist museums. There was a large growth in mine tourism in the early 1980s. Visitor numbers to mines in the UK range from 2,000 p.a. to nearly 100,000 persons p.a. (average 38,000 p.a.). However, in recent years many mine tourist sites in the UK have seen a decline in visitor numbers. This decline could be due to too many mine-related attractions, competition from adventure/theme parks and/or 'lazy' tourists who are not prepared to visit sites off the beaten track. Mine tourist attractions range from simple interpretative sites and educational mines to walk-in or train tours underground. At the extreme end of the scale are mine theme parks (such as Gold Reef City in Johannesburg, which draws nearly one million visitors each year).

In Ireland there are a number of old mine sites that have tourism potential. The sites with the best visible remains are not necessarily the best from the tourism point of view. In fact the location of a site is probably the main factor in governing success of a tourist venture. Sites near the main areas of population (e.g. Avoca) or existing tourism (e. g. Silvermines) are more favourable. Static displays of mining remains are unlikely to attract much more than academic interest. Visitors want to become actively involved during their visit and the fun factor must not be underestimated. Ultimately, for many visitors the attractiveness to children is extremely important. Despite the importance of the fun factor, the need for conservation and general education should also be considered. With sufficient planning and capital investment there is every chance that some of Ireland's old mine sites could provide important additional tourist revenue.

A The Shallee Project by Paul Adams
Chief Executive of Shannon Castle Banquets and Heritage

Shannon Development has 13 visitor attractions in the Limerick region. The most successful is Bunratty Castle with 324,000 visitors annually; each of the others averages about 50,000 each year. These attractions support 700 jobs and generate a demand for 100,000 bed-nights; they bring £5 million into the region each year. Seventy percent of the visitors come from overseas.

Shannon Heritage has proposed the Shallee Project - a £1.67 million development for a National Mining Heritage Centre - at Silvermines in north Tipperary. The 40-acre site, five miles from Nenagh, has been donated by the two mining companies which owned the disused Shallee Mine. In September the Minister for Defence, Mr Michael Smith announced Exchequer funding of £1 million towards the project which it is hoped to have operating by June 2000.

Mr Adams explained that the commercial viability of an attraction depends on a combination of many factors. For instance, gift shops and tearooms can provide added interest and generate essential revenue. Since up to 40% of visitors do not usually wish to go underground, Shallee will also have an overground option called the Discovery Trail. The general aim will be to provide interpretation rather than Disney-type entertainment.

Glengowla Mines

Keith Geoghegan spoke about the Glengowla Silver and Lead Mines which he and his parents, Pat and Paddy have restored and opened to the public.

The Glengowla Mine is situated near the village of Oughterard on the road from Galway to Clifden. One of many disused mines in Connemara, it boasts a wide variety of minerals. It was worked in the nineteenth century and produced silver, lead, zinc and barite. Other minerals found there include fluorite, copper, iron, calcite, quartz and marble. Work at the mine ceased in the 1860s.

A survey was carried out in 1992 with a view to reopening the workings as a showmine and making it accessible to visitors. The Geoghegan family cleared the old shafts and drives of debris. They pumped out the water and installed steps and lighting. At the surface they restored the Agent's cottage, the Paymaster's office, the Powder House, the Blacksmith's workshop and the stable. The mine can now be explored on foot in complete safety. Apart from learning about geology, visitors on the guided tours hear about the harsh working conditions which the miners endured a century ago.

Guided tours are available from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., seven days a week, from March to November and on some days during the winter. Bus groups are welcome all year by arrangement.

Location: Two miles west of Oughterard on the N59 road to Clifden. Access is via a farm road about half a mile long. There is parking space for cars and buses.

Enquiries to:
Glengowla Silver and Lead Mines, Oughterard, Connemara, Co. Galway.
Tel: (091) 552-360 or (091) 552-021 or 087-2529-850 anytime.

The Avoca Project by Nick Coy

Working for over thirty years in the mineral industry with a strong interest in Archaeology, I had the pleasure of visiting all the old mine sites in the course of routine mineral exploration. Visiting sites in other countries, particularly the visitor or tourist mines convinced me that there were possibilities to do something on the same lines in Ireland. Adopting a realistic and commercial (rather than a romantic) approach, I have examined critically the four most significant sites in Ireland i.e. Avoca, Bonmahon, Allihies and Silvermines.

Avoca stands out in terms of its size, history, archaeology, architecture and attractiveness. As Warington W. Smyth wrote in 1853 "There is, perhaps, no tract in the British Islands which exhibits, even to the eye of the uninitiated an appearence so strongly stamped with the characteristics of the presence of metallic minerals". Avoca also has the three most essential criteria for a successfull commercial enterprise - location, location, and location. The Vale is certainly no stranger to tourism, and has been a popular visitor destination since tourism became popular in the nineteenth century. At present almost 40% of all Irish coach tours pass through or close to Avoca. Dubliners make more than three and a half million day trips to County Wicklow each year and many of these currently drive through the mine site, which is bisected by the main road, without being aware of it. With the Meeting of the Waters at one end and Ballykissangle at the other, the valley is already a tourism promoter's dream.

There are many absolutely unique archictectural, engineering, geological and historical aspects to the Avoca mines. The area has the largest, most diverse and spectacular collection of beam engine houses, including the finest surviving example in Ireland on the site of the proposed development. The interpretation of these buildings is planned for phase two of the proposal.

The plan for a Mining Centre at Avoca has two major components. one above ground and one below. For climatic and seasonal reasons the visitor attraction will need to be all weather, incorporating a visitor centre above ground with an underground experience. By using high quality presentations and as much hands-on / live / interactive interpretation as possible, the realistic recreation of living and working conditions of the early nineteenth century mine can enlighten and entertain visitors be they eight or eighty years of age.

The estimated capital cost of the first phase of development is one million pounds and discussions are ongoing with potential investors in the public and private sectors.

Landscapes from Stone
by Dr W. Ian Mitchell, Geological Survey N.I.

Recent years have seen changing attitudes about the relationship between scientists and the general public. There has been a growing recognition that scientists have a duty to inform the non-specialist about their research. In Ireland, geologists have been to the fore not only in the debate about how to bring our science to the non-specialist but also in the practical aspects of how to actually succeed in bringing geology to the public.

During 1997, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) and the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) embarked on a programme, under the brand name 'Landscapes from Stone', to develop and popularise the landscapes and rocks of the twelve northern counties of Ireland. Literature aimed at the mainstream tourism industry is being produced in a concerted effort to raise public awareness and appreciation of our geological heritage. By using walking, driving and cycle trails to link sites of geological interest with sites of archaeological, cultural and mythological interest we ensure that geology reaches a wide audience. Further, by using the extensive network of contacts within the region's tourism industry, we ensure that our literature is pitched at an appropriate level for the target market. These contacts also provide a ready-made network of retail outlets for our popular products.

In addition, GSNI and GSI are actively marketing the geology of northern Ireland to the broader geological community in an attempt to encourage residential study visits to the region. Both organisations have greatly enhanced their public profiles as a result of the work done to date and the products developed so far have been very successful. Not only does this demonstrate the appetite of the wider public for science, it also demonstrates the challenge facing scientists to ensure they succeed in getting the message across.

The Aillwee Cave by Roger Johnston

Mr Johnston told how the underground cave systems of the Burren had been explored and how the showcave at Aillwee had been developed in 1975. He described the building of the visitor centre at the cave entrance and explained how the circulation of visitors had been improved by driving an access tunnel parallel to the existing cave. Over 2.3 million people had visited the Aillwee Cave since 1976; the average numer of visitors each year was about 200,000. It is estimated that 25% of the visitors have visited the cave previously. At peak times Aillwee employs 55 people. It generates revenue of £2.75 million per year in the district.

The Marble Arch Caves & Cuilcagh Mountain Park
by Conor Burns

"Welcome to Marble Arch Caves. My name is Conor and I will be your guide for to-day's journey around the caves". This is the normal introduction to Marble Arch Caves at the start of each tour and is part of a successful formula. Since the caves opened in 1985 nearly 700,000 people have taken the tour through the cave system with a further 15% visiting only the reception building.

When the caves were opened to the public in May 1985, yearly numbers of visitors were expected to be about 15,000. In fact, the average annual attendance has exceeded 50,000. In 1998 there was a fall in overall numbers to about 40,000. This reflects a recent general fall in visitor numbers to tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. Possible causes for the decline include the increased popularity of foreign holidays, the strength of sterling and poor weather during the summer season.

The Marble Arch Caves were developed as a tourist facility by Fermanagh District Council at a cost of £1 million which was provided by central government and the European Union. The caves were first explored with boats by the French speliologist Eduoard Martel in 1895. It was Martel who first suggested that the Marble Arch system could be developed as a showcave. The caves are part of an active river system and water levels can rise and fall depending on rainfall. The boat journey nowadays is conducted with three boats; this takes place at the start of the tour and lasts about five minutes.

The reception building was enlarged in 1998 by Fermanagh District Council to provide an interpretive area for the Cuilcagh Mountain Park which will open in Spring 1999. The main objective is to conserve the blanket bog on Cuilcagh Mountain. The conservation work was funded by the EU LIFE fund which supports endangered rare habitats throughout Europe.

The Caves will reopen to the public in March 1999.

Information:
The Marble Arch Caves, Florencecourt, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland, BT92 1EW
Tel: (08) (01365) 348-855 or Fax: (08) (01365) 348-928.

-The LiSCANnor Stone Story and Rock Shop
by Paddy Maher & Roger Johnston

As Paddy Maher of the LiSCANnor Centre was not able to attend the meeting, the presentation was given by Roger Johnston.

The Visitor Centre
The centre hosts an audio-visual display that highlights the fascinating history of LiSCANnor stone. After a 15-minute video presentation, visitors are invited to view an exhibition of stone products (flooring stone, stone tables and benches, etc.) and working methods. LiSCANnor stone is the name given to a variety of flagstones and sandstones that come from the land around the Cliffs of Moher and the fishing village of LiSCANnor on the western Atlantic seaboard of Co. Clare. The stone is taken chiefly from quarries along the edge of the Cliffs and from hills in the townland of Luogh, south of Doolin. The stone bears the fossil tracks of marine animals that lived millions of years ago. The tracks give the stone a highly textured surface of infinitely varied character making it highly sought after for interior and exterior flooring.

Trade in the stone started towards the end of the 19th century when schooners delivering cargoes of coal to North Clare via LiSCANnor Harbour took back the LiSCANnor stone on their return journey to Britain. The LiSCANnor quarries were a hive of activity in the period from 1890 to 1910 with ten companies extracting paving slabs but they later went into decline. Some of the quarries were revived in 1964 and there is now a steady demand for the stone. Roger Johnston described the techniques for extracting slabs from the rock and for splitting the slabs with wooden wedges.

The Rock Shop
The Rock Shop displays precious and semi-precious stones from Ireland and worldwide. Almost every one of the Earth's natural treasures is on sale and the shop has something for everyone. Every item on display is fashioned from stone. The shop is a virtual Aladdin's Cave with crystals of quartz, fluorite, topaz, malachite and amethyst as well as stone vases and ornaments, magnificent celtic carvings on slate, precious jewellery to suit all tastes and rock, fossil and mineral specimens for collectors young and old.

The Rock Shop and Visitor Centre are situated two and a half miles from LiSCANnor on the road to the Cliffs of Moher. It is planned to expand the facilities by adding a tearoom and a rock crystal viewing room. Other plans include organising a tour of the working quarry so that visitors can enjoy the environment and discover more about the locality and its traditions.

Opening Hours: Summer: 10.00 - 18.00 Winter: 11.00 - 16.00. At present open all year round. Admission for AV show: Adults: £2.00; Children/OAPs/groups/students: £1.00; Family ticket: £5.00 (2 adults & 2 children).

Information:
Paddy Maher at The LiSCANnor Stone and Rock Shop
St. Bridget's Well, LiSCANnor, Co. Clare
Tel: (065) 708-1930
Fax: (065) 707-4077
Email: aillwee at tinet.ie

Bringing Earth Science to Life
by Roy Hawkey, Head of Education
The Natural History Museum, London

Lo, hither come two geologists:
Two Gentlemen of the Devonian.
Wouldst thou imply
That men whose interests lie
Beneath the sod
Are by their very nature odd?
Nay, my lord, but do behold
They are, by way of fashion, old.

So began a redevelopment, with emphasis placed upon…

• science as dynamic and evolving
• processes of scientific investigation
• development of new theories and models
• investigative approaches to learning
• appropriate and meaningful contexts
• real specimens

The new Earth Galleries - including the dramatic Visions of Earth with statues, escalator and revolving globe - were criticised as placing too much emphasis on entertainment, of becoming a theme park. But this focus on the affective has proved to be effective in attracting visitors - 1.8 million last year - to the exhibitions.

The Power Within, complete with earthquake experience (reconstructing a Kobe supermarket), and Restless Surface were completed in 1996 and research confirmed genuine success in developing broader messages relating to the nature of science. 1998 brought From the Beginning and Earth's Treasury, both rich in specimens and aesthetically stimulating, while Earth Today and Tomorrow includes many artefacts (including a JCB and a crushed car) of modern living.

Earth Lab is a unique exhibition that manages to combine the kind of reference collection beloved of the geology enthusiast with the hands-on interactivity of the Discovery Centre - and state-of-the-art database technology. It is a stunning blend of the traditional and the modern.

Of course, the Museum is more than its exhibitions. Other earth science activities include…

• a dinosaur dig
• workshops
• building stone walks
• art and music
• hands-on specimens in the galleries and in the Discovery Centre

Over the next eighteen months the Discovery Centre will metamorphosize into Investigate, where the focus will be on scientific exploration and investigation of natural objects. Investigate will have its own website, inspired by the success of QUEST, an on-line project which gives decision-making firmly to the user.

This shift in emphasis from unquestioned answers to unanswered questions is characteristic of The Natural History Museum's approach to bringing earth science to life for the 21st century.

The National Museum of Ireland and the Earth Sciences
by Nigel T. Monaghan

The National Museum of Ireland has the role in the earth sciences of 'bringing the outside inside' which in the past has been applied largely to the collection and acquisition of geological specimens which are brought into the museum for long-term care and study. The philosophy extends to the bringing of earth sciences to the general public in the indoor setting of exhibitions.

With roots in the late eighteenth century the geological collections are wide ranging with an emphasis on items for public exhibition for over a century. Unfortunately there has been no adequate space available for exhibition since the foundation of the State. The National Museum is currently developing a new headquarters and exhibition venue at Collins Barracks, Dublin, across the Liffey from the Guinness complex near Heuston Station.

Various exhibitions are due to open in the second phase of development at Collins Barracks in 2002/3 and will include an earth science gallery. The space available will be used to deal with the solar system (meteorites, moon rock), planet earth (minerals and rocks) and with the history of life on earth (fossils). Modern exhibits will be specimen rich and thematic, intended to whet the appetite. Galleries will be supported by activities, interactives and publications as appropriate to convey an understanding of our planet, our place in it and its value as a resource which must be handled with care.

Recent Developments at Armagh Eartharium
by Dr Tom Mason, Armagh Planetarium

Space exploration is of perennial interest to the public but the EarthScience part of the Planetarium building was a little spare when I first arrived in mid-1996, probably because of astronomers' interests in observing distant objects using electronics and the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, they are remote sensing experts par excellence. This means that the astronomical perception of Earth is of a planet best observed from a distance. The Earth Science display area reflected this perception by being filled with satellite images from LANDSATS and SPOTS and even some old Russian images.

Nowadays, the satellite images are fewer. We still show some, for they are sheer poetry in their own right, but now we have more bits and pieces for the children and adults to handle. Fossils and dinosaurs, eggshells and puppets, living iguanas and trilobites, corals and shells in a sandy beach with big Cretaceous ammonites. Dig your own dinosaur in our sandpit, and look at the replicas of the Berlin Archaeopteryx and other flying animals' fossils. Earth scientists are trained to handle the merchandise, to lick and taste rocks and minerals, to scrape and blow clean our fossils. This accords well with our mammalian heritage as social, tactile animals. To support my thesis I refer you to babies mouthing and slathering their toys, their food, and their immediate environment. All parents know how close children are to puppies. Pups want to mouth and chew everything. Kids want to touch and test. They often remind me of mediaeval traders biting their coins, differentiating base from noble metals. I firmly believe that we must let our young visitors have a touching experience, as that is how they hard wire their memories for future reference. We learn by doing.

We have set up a new OUTREACH project to take the battle into the schools. Schoolchildren are insatiable for knowledge. Some are delinquents. If you are into OUTREACH that is a hazard of the game. Part of your on-the-job-training must be to learn how to put them down, but not literally. However, if the truth were told, I am often sorely tempted. A prerequisite for this type of work is a sense of humour.

In addition to the OUTREACH visits to schools, we are also promoting INREACH where the kids come to us for an enhanced visit. We used to let them wander around, their teachers spending their visit in our coffee shop. It is vital that this does not happen, and the teachers must accompany their classes for the duration of the visit. Under the ancien regime, the children swiftly became bored. Now that we talk to them, and show them the telescopes, fossils, and other bric-a-brac they are less easily diverted.

So you can see that the Planetarium is worth a visit as a kid, to see and touch, we actively encourage it. And to go away convinced that the heavens are indeed splendid, but for the Earthbound, there is plenty to keep you occupied. Imagination allows us to travel the past as well as explore the future in space. You must communicate your enthusiasm and sense of awe, and at all costs keep your sense of humour!

Paths of Stone: Promoting Urban Geology in Ireland
by Patrick N. Wyse Jackson
Department of Geology, Trinity College

A recent survey showed that over 100 building stones and decorative stones have been used in Dublin buildings at some time in the past. The history of building in Dublin can be divided into four periods each of which are characterised by distinct use of stone: Norman - Mediaeval period: local Calp limestone, Georgian: red brick, Portland Stone and Leinster Granite, Victorian: various New Red Sandstones, Irish limestones and decorative 'marbles', and Modern: local and exotic veneers. The publication of the book 'The Building Stones of Dublin' (1993) has seemed to have crystallised interest in stone amongst a number of local and commercial groups. A local café sponsored posters that illustrated the stone used for their Victorian table tops; and the 1998 calendar of a major stone supplier focussed on stone use in Ireland. Debate on aspects of stone selection and use for sculptural repair and street pavements has been carried on in the press and on local radio. Efforts have been made to promote and generate interest in stone through urban walks and cemetery walks on Irish Science Day, Irish Geology Day, and for groups such as the Irish Geological Association, the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, and the Geologists' Association. A new initiative still in the planning stage is to erect an Irish stone wall somewhere in Dublin.

Making the Wellcome Wing Interactive
by Keith Greaves, The Science Museum, London

With less than eighteen months to go, the London Science Museum is firing up to prepare for the commissioning of interactive exhibits to accompany its new suite of contemporary exhibitions for the Wellcome Wing.

Developing more than one hundred screen-based multi-media interactives and over sixty electro-mechanical exhibits is no mean task. Six exhibition teams have been doing extensive research in consultation with industry, scientists, technologists, artists, professional associations and anybody else they can get their hands on. Discussions have been intense, stimulating, often controversial but always at the leading edge of scientific research. As debates about content slow down and the final proposals emerge, the time has come for the developers to roll up their sleeves and call in the fabricators.

Interactives are complicated products. It is the individual nature of interactives that can send development costs soaring. Add to these costs a 21st century design style and an ambition for a five-year performance guarantee you need an equally innovative development procedure. The Science Museum has put its best brains together to calculate an answer. It took a while but they got there and the answer they came up with is .....talking. Talk to each other, the designers, the contractors and most importantly, visitors to the Museum.

Keen to adopt the new policy, a crack team of talkers was assembled and called the 'widets' or Wellcome Wing Interactive Development Team (WWIDT). WWIDT is a group of six experienced interactive developers with specialist knowledge of project management, ergonomic design, multi-media programming, visitor studies and of course, talking. Communication across the project will be the key to its success. Liaison across the teams soon identified potential logistical nightmares. First, a comprehensive summary of the content ideas was gathered into clear contract documents. Working closely with Museum colleagues, the exhibition architects and a team of product designers the WWIDT team is now starting discussion with the interactive contractors.

Over the past two months the team have seen presentations from a variety of multimedia companies. Companies with experience of developing alternative computer interfaces score highly with the WWIDT. Round table discussions involving the electro-mechanical exhibit contractors have helped to reinforce our working relationship with the contractors and identified possible solutions to potential problems.

The main logistical issues facing the WWIDT are prototyping of interactives, beta testing of final exhibits, storage of exhibits completed before the new building is ready and final warranty periods. Evaluators, test labs and suitable storage facilities are already in place at the Museum. Early prototype testing has begun and the exhibition teams are bracing themselves for the remaining five or six hundred evaluations.

Science communication and interactive development is currently rocketing in the UK and other countries. Demands for experienced staff and contractors is reaching breaking point. Traditional methods of developing such projects needed revamping by agreement and discussion with all parties. The Wellcome Wing's interactive team is hoping to make a valuable contribution to this cause.

For the past 5 years Keith Greaves has worked with the Science Museum's Science Communication Division and is currently part of the Wellcome Wing Interactive Development Team.

If you would like to know further details about the project, contact:
Keith Greaves
phone: 0044 171 938 9813
email: k.greaves at nmsi.ac.uk

Touring exhibitions

The Natural History Museum in London offers a range of high quality touring exhibitions for hire. These include:

• Myths and Monsters
• Dinosaurs
• Giant Insects
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The Touring Exhibitions team of the NHM has many year's experience of touring and managing exhibitions and it takes a personalised approach to each venue. The temporary exhibitions are robust and designed for touring. They combine information from the Museum's collections with animatronics, interactive technology and integrated multi-media to stimulate curiosity and learning.

A coloured brochure is available from:
Touring Exhibitions
The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road
London, SW7 5BD, UK

Information:
Lizzy Cox
Tel: +44 171-938-9533
Fax: +44 171-938-9422
Email: l.cox at nhm.ac.uk
www: http://www.forfas.ie/st/sti.htm

Recent News

September:
A group called the Irish Children's Museum Advisory Committee announced a proposal to establish a children's museum at the Carlisle Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

October:
Dublin Zoo announced plans to double the size of the zoo by the year 2000 to better accommodate the large animals. The scheme is backed by a £15 million investment by the Government.

October:
Contractors under the supervision of the Office of Public Works started work on the restoration of the roof and the domes of Dunsink Observatory.

November:
Mr Noel Treacy, Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce previewed the galleries in the Historic Science Centre at Birr. The galleries will open to the public from 1 February 1999. A new 72-inch nickel-coated aluminium mirror is nearing completion in University College London. It will be installed in the 'Leviathan' in Spring 1999.

Current & Forthcoming Events

December '98 - mid-January '99:
An exhibition 'Meteorites - a key to our place in the cosmos?' is on display at ENFO ( the Environment Information Office) in St Andrew's Street, Dublin. The exhibition has been arranged by:

Dr Ian Sanders
Geology Dept., TCD
Email: isanders at tcd.ie

27 & 28 April 1999:
The Irish Museum Show, The Concert Hall, RDS, Dublin 4.

Details available from:
Sonia Sewell
Ivel Enterprises
Dorchester House, Station Road
Letchworth, Herts., SG6 3AW, UK
Tel: +44 1462-482-880
Fax: +44 1462-485-515
Email: ivel at btinternet.com

Spring 1999:
The iSCAN Spring Meeting will take place at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford by kind invitation.

The theme of the meeting will be 'Understanding the Environment' and suggestions for topics or speakers should be sent to:
Dr Ian Elliott
Tel: (01) 838-7911
Email: ie at dunsink.dias.ie

iSCAN Website

iSCAN now has a Website at http://www.irsa.ie/iSCAN/index.html
There is information on:

• iSCAN objectives
• Members of the Committee
• Links to some science centre websites
• Places of interest in Ireland
• Enquires about iSCAN
• How to join iSCAN

Please tell us what you think of the site and how it can be improved. We are grateful to Dr John Donovan of the Irish Research Scientists' Association for making this possible.

30 years of Irish science

December Technology Ireland reported the discovery of beautiful coral reefs in the cold deep waters off Ireland's west coast. The reefs are every bit as stunning as their tropical counterparts-but they also indicate the presence of oil and gas reserves and so they are useful to oil exploration companies too. Needless to say our story was picked up by RTE and the national papers- proving once again that Technology Ireland is first with the news in Irish science.

The magazine, Ireland's only science and technology monthly, has been reporting on the latest research and developments for 30 years, starting in April 1969 when George Colley was Minister for Industry and Commerce and the cover price was three shillings and sixpence. Today the cover price has increased a little, but some things haven't changed-our concern about the environment, and genetic engineering have been recurrent themes over the three decades: the cover story in October 1984, for example, was test-tube technologies and 'man-made animals'.

Every issue features news from Irish science, and developments around the country, like ground-breaking research at St Vincent's , hospital into the causes of coeliac disease, or the complex engineering involved in digging the many underground tunnels now planned for Ireland, or how. science and technology help to conserve the art treasures at the National Gallery .

Each month there are numerous feature articles, news reports, book reviews and more. And in January 1999 we review the Birr centre's recent delightful booklet on the telescope project, and the Institution of Engineer's biography of Sir John Purser Griffith.

Of special interest to iSCAN members is the publication later this year of our new 350-page guide-book to Ireland's scientific and technological heritage, The Eureka Guide Ireland explored & explained. As well as including all relevant iSCAN members in the guide-book, Technology Ireland is also keen to hear from members about their news, developments and publications-see the contact details below.

Special offer for iSCAN members stlg£29 for one year (normal price stlg£33). Some members may also be interested in selling TI through their retail outlet, for further information and a sample copy contact the address below.

Technology Ireland
Enterprise Ireland, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.
Tel: 01-808 2282
Fax: 01- 808 2227
email: tech-ir/ at forbairt.ie

RDS / Technology
IrelandYoung Science Writers Competition 1998

is sponsored by the STI Awareness Programme, Marine Institute, Regional Newspapers Association and Irish Postmasters Union. Young Writers between the ages of 12 and 19 from all parts of Ireland are invited to enter short stories, features or action scripts for this year's competition. Entries can be in the form of a journalistic report, a story, a poem, or even a play or radio script. The competition has two main categories -fact and fiction, and in addition special awards will be presented for entries with a marine content. Science fact: entries should be clear, well-written reports in the style of a newspaper or magazine article of not more than 1000 words.

Science fiction: entries can be short stories, poems or scripts of not more than 3000 words.
Age sections: 12-13,14-15,16-19
Prizes: Certificates, perpetual trophy, cash prizes, marine awards.

Further information and entry forms from:
Carol Power
RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

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