January 2021

Birr has one of the great astronomical heritages in the world, and this project asked what it would feel like to inhabit that sky rather than merely observe it. Science communicator and artist Dr. Niamh Shaw collaborated with local cross-stitchers, night-sky watchers and researchers from I-LOFAR to map the celestial objects visible from Birr — stars, planets, comets and bodies beyond the naked eye — through workshops, talks and site visits to Birr Castle Demesne. The data they gathered became the choreography for an outdoor movement performance, conceived as a dance written by the sky itself, and recorded as a standalone film work.

Supported by Offaly County Council under the Creative Ireland Community Grant Programme 2026–2027