2 days to go...

With just a few days to go, here is a quick update on our festival weekend...

TICKETS:

Some events are now sold out (Friday Opening Night in Ballycroy, Rocket Workshop...) but we still have some one-day and two-day tickets left, as well as the Lego workshop, the Seashore Safari, and the Finale Concert

GALA DINNER:

There are a small number of tickets still available for Saturday's dinner in the Mulranny Park Hotel. This is always good fun and you will get to meet many of our festival speakers in a relaxed social setting, including Joanna Donnelly (Met Eireann), Leah Morgan (fusion energy engineer), Brendan Owens (Star Trek fan and astrophysicist) and archaeologist Marion Dowd, plus many more - and of course music with The Garibaldis.

ACCOMMODATION:

I understand that Hotel Newport and the Mulranny Park Hotel are now fully booked (but are keeping a waiting list), but there are many other accommodation options in both towns, as well as nearby Westport, so check out the 'Plan Your Trip' section on our website

CAR PARKING:

While parking on Main Street Newport is 2 hour parking only, there is plenty of free parking a) near the Oratory behind Main Street) and b) at Newport National School F28 ED89. In Mulranny, there is parking at Mulranny Arts Centre itself and just outside the gates to the Arts Centre. In Ballycroy, there is plenty of parking at Ballycroy Community Centre and at the National Park's Visitor Centre

SHUTTLE BUS:

Thanks to National Parks and Wildlife Service, we are once again offering a free shuttle bus service between Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy, so why not park your car and take advantage of this service? (bus timetable is on our website).

FREE EVENTS:

With the whole family in mind, there are plenty of free events to keep everyone entertained, and there is no need to book...

• Six Planetarium Shows daily at Newport NS School Hall

• A free film screening about the Hubble Space Telescope at 10am on Sunday morning in Hotel Newport (while there, you can also check in with Stephen Kershaw of K-Tec Telescopes to see all the latest home telescopes and accessories)

• Free stargazing sessions on Friday and Saturday evening from 8-9pm at Burrishoole Abbey just outside Newport (this of course is weather dependent, so fingers crossed!)

• For those who have purchased 1-day or 2-day tickets, these will give you free access to our Stellarium Workshop on Sunday morning, and our Finale Concert on Sunday evening

• And of course (with the exception of events such as workshops with very limited capacity), children under 16 can attend all daytime talks free of charge, no booking necessary

INDIVIDUAL TALKS:

Due to the sheer quantity of events over the festival weekend, we do not sell tickets for individual talks on our website, as most people opt to buy a 1-day or 2-day ticket for best value. However, it is of course possible just to attend one or two talks - simply pay at the door (cash or credit card) on the day! 

Thank you all for your continued support, and as always, a special thank you to Fáilte Ireland, who have been our main sponsor since 2022, allowing us to continue to bring you world class speakers and fun family events.

Fiona, Georgia, Carol, Mags, Michael and everyone on the Festival Committee.