Courses
ATU to host first-ever Donegal Science Fair to conclude Science Week this Saturday
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is set to host its first Donegal Science Fair this weekend, bringing an action-packed afternoon of family-friendly entertainment and hands-on discovery to wrap up Science Week.
The free public event will take place this Saturday, 14 November, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the ATU Letterkenny campus. Entirely free of charge and requiring no advance booking, the fair aims to demystify science for all ages through a dynamic line-up of interactive workshops, live shows, and roaming performances.
A Packed Programme for Curious Minds
Visitors to the Letterkenny campus can look forward to a diverse range of immersive acts and exhibits:
- WOW! Airshow with Professor Egghead: Taking place in Room L1104 at 2:10 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM, Professor Egghead uses comedy, lively experiments, and audience participation to explore how air moves and powers our world.
- The Mad Professor: Joined by Niall O’Dwyer in Room L1103 at 2:20 PM, 3:40 PM, and 5:10 PM, this session demonstrates how everyday items help shape fundamental scientific principles.
- The 3D Space Show: Hosted by David Fearon from the NI Space Office in Room L1101 at 2:00 PM, 3:20 PM, and 4:50 PM, audiences can enjoy a 3D flyover of Mars, learn about water history and space missions, and discover how satellite data helps address local environmental challenges like Lough Neagh’s algae blooms.
- Cell Explorers Pop-Up Lab: Located in Room 1161 for all-day drop-ins, families can extract real DNA from a banana or build cell models using jumping clay.
- Micro-Planes Workshop: Run by Wonderstruck in Rooms L1183/4, participants can build card rockets and aircraft, launching them via compressed-air launchers to experiment with weight, flaps, and aerodynamic lift.
- Nature Challenge with Michael Bell: In Room 1162, visitors can test their local biodiversity knowledge with quizzes, view live mini-beasts, and examine real bones from the second-largest animal in the world found right in County Sligo.
- Science on Stilts: Circus 250 will roam the campus all day, featuring stilt-walking scientists who perform interactive experiments on atomic structure and bubbles for an unforgettable visual spectacle.
Alongside the entertainment, the fair highlights vital environmental research being conducted across the region. Attendees can explore the EU Green stand as well as The PEAT+ Project, which showcases low-cost, low-power sensor technology deployed at Glenveagh and other peatland sites to monitor water tables and climate resilience.
Organisers encourage families, students, and science enthusiasts across Donegal and beyond to head to ATU’s Letterkenny campus this Saturday to experience science in a fun, engaging, and accessible way. The event is free and open to the public.
Photo caption: Sisters Caoimhe (12) and Chloe (7) from Donegal Town with Circus 250, part of ATU’s Donegal Science fair taking place this Saturday, 14 November from 2-6pm. The event is free and open to the public.
For media enquiries, contact:
Aidan Haughey
Communications Manager
Tel: 086 086 6913
E: aidan.haughey@atu.ie
