Discover, test and innovate with Ireland’s ground-breaking Scientists
The Irish have contributed significantly to scientific research and discoveries all around the world. At EPIC we strive to highlight the stories of these inspiring scientists, and even have a dedicated gallery to exploring all of their amazing accomplishments.
From engineer John Phillip Holland, to computer programmer Kay McNulty, discover the fascinating and exciting stories of astronauts, astrophysicists, biologists, computer programmers and engineers who are either Irish emigrants or part of the Irish diaspora, through a range of interactive activities, all tied to the SESE, The Arts and History curricula.
TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
EMIGRANT’S SUITCASE
This Science-themed Emigrants Suitcase workshop explores how objects tell stories. Take part in tasks spanning a range of curricula including English, History, Drama, Art, and Geography, and discuss how Irish figures impacted science – from John Phillip Holland who built the first working submarine, to Jocelyn Bell Burnell who discovered a new star, to Kay McNulty, who worked on the first ever general-purpose computer!
SCIENCE CLASSROOM PACKS
The Irish in Science Classroom Pack
The Irish contribution to science can be traced back thousands of years! Find out how our achievements in science helped shape the world, and perhaps you will one day become a Nobel prize-winner!
Computer Scientists Classroom Pack
Discover the Irishwoman who helped invent the first general purpose computer and tracked missiles during WWII, and learn how to become a computer programmer yourself in our new Classroom Pack!
SCIENCE STORIES FROM THE MUSEUM
Kay McNulty: The Irish ‘mother of computer programming’
Kay’s passion for mathematics pre-dated her marriage to an eminent scientist in 1948, but social norms obliged her to continue her pioneering programming work unpaid, in the confines of the family home.
The story of Irish astronomer Rose O’Halloran
The woman with the pet telescope: Rose O’Halloran, a Tipperary woman who emigrated to the US, is credited as being the first to see a giant sunspot emerge on the sun’s limb.
The Irishwoman inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame
The daughter of an Irish immigrant sharecropper and an African-American mother, who worked as a washerwoman, her early life was beset by troubles including the death of her father when she was seven.
