The Robert Boyle Summer School

The Robert Boyle Summer School will run this summer from the 15th - 18th July at his birthplace, Lismore Heritage Town, Co Waterford. Ireland has for many years now had several highly successful summer schools celebrating litereary figures and now there will be a place where scientists and non-scientists can meet and discuss matters relating to science and consider the place of science in our culture. This year is a special year to celebrate: it is the 350th anniversary of the publication of "Boyle's Law" and the 15th July will be the 350th anniversary of the granting of the charter to the Royal Society. The dates of the festival will suit participants attending ESOF Dublin 2012. The organisers are pleased to announce that world-leading Boyle scholars will be coming to Lismore including Michael Hunter, Birbeck College London, Lawrence Principe John Hopkins University, Michelle DiMeo, Georgia Tech, Kieth Moore, Librarian at the Royal Society. They will be joined by several scientists including Jonathan Ashmore FRS and Ingrid Hook. There will also be costumed recreations of Boyle's most famous experiments. The full programme will be published shortly; in the mean time you may wish to contact us (find the contact details on the "About Us" page) to be kept updated on developments. You may also like to browse this site to see reports of the Robert Boyle Science Festival from November 2011.

Robert Boyle (1627 – 1691) was born in Lismore Castle and was perhaps the most influential scientist of his day and the most respected of the founding members of the Royal Society of London.

The inaugural Robert Boyle Science Festival, held in Lismore 18th-20th November 2011, was a huge success. As Sean Sherlock, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Jobs, Innovation and Department of Education & Skills, opened the inaugural Robert Boyle Science Festival last weekend he praised the committee that had brought such an unusual festival to life and the community that supported it. There was much for both the local and scientific communities to enjoy over the course of the festival weekend as the committee served up a menu of scientific lectures, social events and family activities.

By kind permission of Lord and Lady Burlington, four wonderful lectures were held in the Pugin Room of Lismore Castle, the birthplace of the famous scientist Robert Boyle in whose honour the festival was held. 2011 was chosen as the year for the inaugural festival as it marks the 350th anniversary of the publication of Boyle’s most famous work ‘The Sceptical Chemist’. That work, among Boyle’s many other innovations, discoveries and writings were discussed by Professor Duncan Thorburn Burns of Queen’s University, Belfast and Dr Allan Chapman of Oxford University. More contemporary matters “The Effect of Human Activities on the Earth’s Atmosphere” and “Earth’s Peculiar Atmosphere” occupied the festival’s two other keynote speakers Professors Bob Watson and Richard Wayne. Academic matters were removed from the agenda as the lecturers retired to ‘On the Boyle’ a social evening at Ballyrafter House Hotel..

Many local schoolchildren got a sneak peep at the festival on Friday when they visited The Robert Boyle Show from WIT and the Stardome from Armagh Planetarium. Children of all ages poured into Lismore for Family Science Day on Sunday 20th November. WIT’s CALMAST and Lifetime Lab, Cork entertained the crowds in Lismore’s Community Hall with hands on games, experiments and puzzles before WIT’s Eoin Gill again disappeared into his time machine only to reappear as Robert Boyle himself! Declan Kennedy and his able team of assistants from University College Cork astounded a packed Courthouse Theatre with The Chemistry Magic Show while Lismore Heritage Centre’s Mad Scientists popped balloons, rockets and tricks as families arrived. Many would say the best was saved till last as a spectacular fireworks display brought the festival to a close..

Mayor of Lismore, Ken Madden, complimented the success of the inaugural festival, commenting that the festival’s unique, ‘boutique’ character suits Lismore particularly well. Mayor Madden praised the involvement of Lismore Heritage Centre saying that he fully understood “the huge volume of work and commitment that such an event requires and it is greatly rewarding when it works out so well.” .

The Robert Boyle Science Festival committee would like to thank the many kind sponsors whose support made the wonderful weekend possible, the speakers and family fun facilitators who entertained the festival-goers and particularly Waterford Institute of Technology and University College Cork for their vision for creating the festival and their huge input into making it a reality.

	Institute of Chemistry of Ireland