The 2007 Whirlpool Star Party

will be on 5-7 October, in Dooley's Hotel, Birr, Co Offaly. It runs from Friday evening, with a reception in the hotel + observing if clear, through to Sunday afternoon. Always the highlight of the Irish amateur astronomy community, it's run by the Shannonside Astronomy Club: see www.shannonsideastronomy.com for details of the programme & speakers. One of the keynote speakers is Dr John Mason - see below.
Accommodation: Since there are often weddings on in Birr or Kinnity that W/E, accommodation can be hard to find. I attach a list of accommodation in the area. Some of it is much more up-to-date than other bits, but it's a start! I have given approximate distances from Birr as a guide. NB, some prices may be quite out of date - always check before booking. I'm sending it as an RTF file, in case any of you are worried about bugs or viruses. It should open just the same as a Word doc.