16 August 2026
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is uniting with Eire’s two different historic observatories in an bold bid to realize UNESCO World Heritage standing.
Together with the Birr Scientific and Heritage Basis and Dublin Institute for Superior Research (Dunsink Observatory), the three observatories are referred to as the Historic Astronomical Observatories of Eire (HAOI).
Collectively, they’ve agreed a proper partnership to advance analysis, schooling/outreach and astronomical heritage recognition, the HAOI being a key element of the latter.
UNESCO World Heritage properties and websites are locations of excellent significance to all folks, irrespective of the place they stay, and kind a standard inheritance for humanity.
They’re recognised by UNESCO as having such excellent common worth that their conservation is necessary for present and future generations.
Armagh, Birr and Dunsink all exhibit distinctive testimony to a key stage in scientific astronomy which has had a profound impression on our understanding of the Cosmos.
With out the improvements demonstrated right here, fashionable astronomical observatories would merely not exist of their present kind. Their discoveries led to the idea of the exterior galaxies past the Milky Means, vastly rising humanity’s understanding of the size of the Universe.
Welcoming the UNESCO World Heritage bid, Professor Michael Burton, Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, hailed it ‘a landmark step’.
“We’re delighted to see our UNESCO ambitions shifting ahead and stay up for this thrilling bid progressing within the months forward.
“Being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Website would actually put Armagh Observatory and Planetarium on the map and provides it world recognition as a world-class web site of excellent scientific significance.
“We’re proud to be the oldest scientific establishment in Northern Eire and the longest repeatedly working astronomical analysis institute in the UK and Eire.”
Armagh, Birr and Dunsink comprise numerous exceptionally well-preserved historic observatories, their supporting home buildings and surrounding grounds together with a number of unique telescopes mounted inside their domes or constructions.
Because the UNESCO World Heritage bid gathers momentum, HAOI is in search of to nominate a Challenge Co-ordinator on a five-year time period to take the proposal ahead.
The Challenge Coordinator’s major goal will probably be to organise the actions required within the growth of the World Heritage Website nomination course of. This may embrace creating and implementing an intensive public consciousness technique, communication, and selling engagement and outreach actions with all stakeholders.
World Heritage UK’s annual convention will probably be held in Portrush on October 5 and 6, the place there will probably be displays on all of the UNESCO tentative checklist websites on the island of Eire, together with Armagh.
The UNESCO nomination additionally options the story of Romney Robinson, who was director of Armagh Observatory from 1823 till his demise in 1882.
Robinson, who invented the cup anemometer for measuring wind pace, was President of the Royal Irish Academy and received a Royal Medal in 1862.
In the meantime, the long-lasting Leviathan Telescope at Birr performs an necessary half within the UNESCO bid – in addition to being a key function of Eire’s EU Presidency brand, which is impressed by Birr’s world-famous astronomical heritage.
The official brand is predicated on the spiral construction of the Whirlpool Nebula, first recognized within the 1840s utilizing the Nice Telescope at Birr Fort.
The sample can also be impressed by Irish sculptural work reflecting a reference to historical Irish symbols, reinterpreted by way of a contemporary lens.
Every particular person arm of the spiral options 27 discs which symbolise the 27 EU Member States.
The ensuing house on the centre varieties a five-point star, an emblem from the EU flag. Blue, inexperienced and orange symbolise each the Irish state and the European Union.
For extra details about Armagh Observatory and Planetarium go to Armagh Space.