Galway did its bit for Science Week Ireland yesterday when the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Noel Treacy, hosted a "fun day" at the city's new aquarium.
"Marine" was the chosen theme, and so the location in Salthill was appropriate, Mr Treacy said. In a sense, the venue was an interactive "science centre", he added. Plans for a national science centre are before the Government and he is optimistic about a positive decision.
The programme of events at the Galway Atlantaquaria, including a talk by RTE's Dick Warner and guided tours, didn't attract as much support as might be expected.
The aquarium, which opened last December, recently acquired the skeleton of a fin whale - said to be the second-largest in the State - as part of its collection. It was retrieved from the remains of a 40-tonne female washed ashore in Co Kerry in November 1994.
The 30,000 square foot aquarium boasts 170 species, and has a large coffee shop on its site, which overlooks Mutton Island.
At the opening, Mr Treacy expressed concern about the need for sufficient young people equipped with science and technology qualifications. The Nat ional Development Plan had earmarked £2 billion for science and technology, of which £560 million would be provided for several world-class research centres, he emphasised.
Mr Treacy, who represents Galway East, referred to the success of the city's own science festival, which ran in schools and colleges last month across the county, extending from Gort, to Loughrea, to Clifden and Tuam.
The two third-level institutions, NUI Galway and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and 13 major industrial companies participated in an exhibition which attracted some 15,000 on its final day.
