Trinity has a long and distinguished tradition in astronomy and philanthropy. Dating back to the 1780s, a bequest from Provost Andrews funded the first Chair of Astronomy and the construction of Dunsink Observatory. In recent years, astronomical research at Trinity has gone through a renaissance; the popular undergraduate degree in Physics and Astrophysics was established, […]
A MAJOR scientific project to be based in Birr, was showcased in the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, where funding is being sought for the Birr Castle Radio Telescope Project. The Irish LOFAR project aims to establish a next-generation radio telescope at Birr Castle. LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is a next-generation radio telescope that […]
I-LOFAR Briefing at EU Parliament Meeting room WIB 05M003 (12:00 – 12:30) Speakers will include: Mairead McGuinness (MEP) Prof. Peter Gallagher (I-LOFAR Lead/Trinity College Dublin) Joe Hogan (Openet/European Entrepreneur of the Year 2013) Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy (TD – Member of Irish Parliament) Sir Brendan Parsons (Earl of Rosse) I-LOFAR Lunch at EU Parliament Members Restaurant (12:30 – 14:00) […]
On the afternoon of 5 November 2013, a seminar on “LOFAR-A driver for smart and sustainable growth in Europe’s regions”, will take place in Brussels, Belgium. LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is a next-generation radio telescope that is currently being deployed across Europe, with stations already operating in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, the UK and France. […]
We are delighted to announce that Offaly County Council has been awarded planning permission for the LOFAR radio telescope array and visitor centre in Birr Castle Demesne. The team will now focus their efforts on raising additional funds to make the project happen. To date, the Irish LOFAR team has raised over EUR 200k from […]
Dublin, June 6, 2013: Irish astronomers launch campaign to build a “cutting edge” LOFAR radio telescope in Birr Castle Demesne and to connect Ireland to a leading European network of radio telescopes. To coincide with the European Space Expo’s visit to Trinity College Dublin in June, the Irish LOFAR radio telescope consortium hosted a reception […]
Thanks to Michael Loughnann, Chairman of Birr Town Council, and Denis Duggan of Shannon Development Agency for organising a lovely evening all about I-LOFAR in Birr. Peter Gallagher, the I-LOFAR consortium head, gave a presentation on the project to around 40 people, which included local business owners, teachers, and town councillors, who all seemed to […]
The I-LOFAR test array of four Low Band Antennas (LBAs) hooked up to two low cost e-Callisto receivers was installed at Birr Castle Demesne on April 18 and 19, 2013. As luck (of the Irish?) would have it, the test array picked up a number of Type III radio bursts on April 22, which were associated with a very impulsive M-class flare […]
The I-LOFAR test array consists of 4 Low Band Antenna (LBA) elements which were installed at Rosse Observatory (www.rosseobservatory.ie) in Birr, Co. Offaly. The I-LOFAR test array will test the capabilities of the LBA antenna elements individually and also linked together. The site seen in the photograph has a great view of the southern sky and also extremely […]