The Pat Kenny Show This week marks the 30th year of Science week
Nov 10, 2025
Dr. Diarmuid O'Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, discusses the 30th anniversary of Science Week and its impressive growth, featuring 400 events and 200,000 participants. He highlights the importance of female participation in STEM, noting progress in education but ongoing challenges in retention. O'Brien showcases exciting events like the Moon Sculpture installation and diverse topics ranging from AI to baking at the Midlands Festival. He also explains Research Ireland's mission and innovative funding projects, like UCD's silicon-based quantum server.
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Science Week's National Reach
- Science Week has grown from a few events to ~400 events with ~200,000 participants across Ireland.
- This growth reflects a major cultural shift making science mainstream in Irish public life.
Female STEM Pipeline Gap
- Female participation in STEM at university level is high but drops off during career progression.
- The challenge is to retain women in STEM careers and keep them connected to research agendas.
Museum Of The Moon Installation
- Merrion Square will host Luke Jerram's seven metre Museum of the Moon sculpture that maps centimetres to kilometres on the lunar surface.
- The installation pairs visual scale with music to let visitors tangibly compare a nearby moon with the real one in the sky.