Astronomy festival to leave Offaly for Westmeath

The Midlands Astronomy Club’s (MAC) annual Cosmos astronomy festival is moving out of Offaly for the first time this year.

The festival has been held at Annaharvey just outside Tullamore for the last nine years. However a move to Athlone was prompted this year due to the festival’s increasing popularity according to MAC PRO Dave Connolly.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent Dave said an effort to focus the festival more on family attendance led to a showing of more than 100 people at a star observing session at last year’s festival.

With further growth not viable in its Tullamore home, Dave said The Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone won out to host the venue over the first weekend in April this year.

MAC is expecting even bigger numbers at this year’s festival, which will include talks from journalist and author Will Gater, science writer and broadcaster Mary Mulvihill and quaternary geologist Dr Xavier M Pellicer.

The Cosmos festival will take place from April 4-6 next. Its opening observation session will cost €5 for adults and is free for children under 13. Weekend tickets cost €30, while day tickets for either Saturday or Sunday cost €20.

More information is available at www.midlandsastronomy.com.