Inaugural meeting of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland Strategy Oversight Board

The inaugural meeting of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland (AOI) Strategy Oversight Board took place this month at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. It marks the end of an important first year since the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the partners in September 2023.

The meeting was Chaired by Archbishop John McDowell, Chair of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Board of Governors. The Archbishop of Armagh is also the patron in perpetuity of Armagh Observatory since its foundation in an Act of the Irish Parliament passed in 1791, six years after the establishment of Dunsink Observatory. Birr Telescope, built in the 19th Century, was the largest telescope in the world for over 70 years.

Key senior officers from the Joint Management Committee were in attendance and the Oversight Board received a report from the Partnership’s Strategic Advisor, Caitriona Mullan, providing an overview of work progressed across the AOI’s pillars of co-operation, Research, Heritage, Education/Outreach and Placemaking, and considered key priorities for the year ahead.