Donegal’s first Government-funded science festival to take place in Inishowen

The week-long Gríosadh Science Festival launches on Sunday, November 10 with events across Inishowen.

A packed line-up of free workshops, experiments, demonstrations and talks take place in Carndonagh, Buncrana and Greencastle. 

A guided bird ecosystems walk and talk tour will visit Sharagore Wetlands in Desertegney and Inch on Sunday, November 17. 

The inaugural festival is presented by Spraoi agus Spórt in partnership with Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland.  

 Gríosadh will showcase the innovative contributions being made by local people in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths (STEAM). 

It is Donegal’s first Government- funded science festival, and one of 33 events  nationwide as part of Science Week 2024. Gríosadh (pronounced “Gree-Sha”) means to be excited or sparked by something. 

ScienceWeek.ie is a week-long event in Ireland each November, celebrating science in our everyday lives. Science Week includes a wide variety of events involving industry, colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. Science Week has a number of regional festivals and events offering a range of opportunities for the public to engage with STEM across Ireland. 

 “This festival highlights how science is relevant to our everyday lives and integral to our local industries,” said Deirdre McGrory, coordinator at Spraoi agus Spórt. 

“It demonstrates how innovation is tackling challenges and creating opportunities in rural communities. We are honoured to present contributions from leading engineers, scientists, textile makers, and academics. Gríosadh offers something for all ages and is a fully accessible festival.” 

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Gríosadh kicks off with an open day at Spraoi agus Spórt in Carndonagh on Sunday, November 10 from 1pm to 4pm. It features experiments, demonstrations and exhibits, including an upcycling demo at the neighbouring Síoraí Home store. Explore your digital creativity in the Digital Creative Lab or develop your coding skills with Lego Spike. At 2pm, The Inishowen River Trust presents Building Resilient Communities: Sustainable Drainage and Nature-Based Engineering.  

In Buncrana on Wednesday, November 13, Dr Ciarán Ó Catháin of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) presents Don't Jump Like an Elephant, Run Like One (Maybe). 

At ii - Inishowen Innovation from 6pm to 8pm, it centres on the Science of Running Injuries and Novel Technology based Strategies to Reduce Injury Risk.  

In Greencastle, on Saturday, November 16, principal Garvan Meehan gives a guided tour of the National Fisheries College at 11am where people can explore state-of-the-art technologies, discover the latest advancements in navigation  and satellite systems, and gain insight into the world of naval architecture.

It is followed at 1:30pm by The STEM of Land, Sea and Skywhich It features presentations by Carndonagh natives Sarah McCormack, Professor of Engineering at Trinity College; and Gary O’Donnell, Head of the A321XLR programme at Airbus. Fellow expert, Fergal Bradley of Mountbellew Agricultural College will delve into the evolution of agricultural practices in Inishowen. 

The full Gríosadh festival programme of events is available here. Pre-booking is required for all events due to limited spaces.