French and German ambassadors to visit Birr tomorrow

The German Ambassador to Ireland, Deike Potzel, and the French Ambassador to Ireland, Stéphane Crouzat, will pay a joint visit to Birr tomorrow (Friday, January 17).

The ambassadors will first visit Coolderry Central National School at 1pm.  The school is part of the Blue Star Programme, an education initiative for primary school pupils across Ireland. 

The idea of the programme is to foster better understanding and knowledge of the European Union and how it affects the lives of Irish citizens among primary pupils through classroom projects and activities.
 
Then at 2.30pm two ambassadors will view the I-LOFAR low frequency radio telescope at Birr Castle. 

The Low Frequency Array is an international network of state-of-the-art telescopes used to observe the Universe in unprecedented detail at low radio frequencies. LOFAR consists of 12 international stations spread across Germany, Poland, France, UK, Sweden and Ireland, with additional stations and a central hub in The Netherlands.
 
Speaking ahead of the trip, the two Ambassadors said: “We really look forward to this joint trip to county Offaly. The two places we will visit are concrete initiatives of what the European Union can bring to people in Member States. 

"The Blue Star Programme’s goal is to encourage pupils to get creative and to think about what the EU means for them. LOFAR is one of the largest astrophysics programmes in Europe, with seven countries collaborating on this project.”