The project A Radio Telescope for Ireland had its official
fundraising launch on March 25, 2004, kindly hosted by the 
Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. The launch followed a public
lecture sponsored by the URSI subcommittee of the RIA,
entitled "The Frontiers of Radio Astronomy" by Dr. Phil 
Diamond, who is the Director of the MERLIN array (Jodrell Bank 
Observatory, United Kingdom).

Speakers at the launch included Prof. Tom Brazil (UCD, Electrical
Engineering), Prof. Gerry Doyle (Armagh Observatory), Dr. Michael 
Garrett (Director, Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe), Dr. Denise 
Gabuzda (UCC), Dr. Aaron Golden (NUI-Galway), Prof. Malcolm Longair 
(Mullard Radio Astronomical Observatory), Sir Bernard Lovell 
(Jodrell Bank Observatory, retired), Prof. Tom Ray (DIAS), and
Lord Rosse (Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation). Each of
the speakers gave his or her own perspective about the value of
the ARTI project. A number of the speakers emphasized the role 
that a state-of-the-art Irish radio telescope could play in 
supporting a knowledge-based economy, and in training young 
scientists and technicians not only in radio astronomy itself, but 
also in a wide range of related scientific and technological areas. 

Sir Bernard, in particular, underlined that the Birr radio telescope
should be viewed first and foremost as a hands-on training facility 
for young scientists and technicians, pointing out that many of
the students studying radio astronomy at the Jodrell Bank Observatory
subsequently went into other technical disciplines. He closed his
speech with the plucky challenge, "I would dearly love to see this 
project finished in my lifetime, and I'm now 90, so please get on 
with it!"

Don't worry, we have every intention of this, Sir Bernard!