You are warmly invited to attend the 61st Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society to be held at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland from Monday, July 27, to Friday, July 31, 1998. A near-record 309 abstracts have been accepted for the meeting, and a week of lively scientific debate and relaxing social activities is anticipated.

About Dublin, Ireland, and Trinity College

Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland, is located midway along the country's east coast and has a population of around one million people. The city is centered on the mouth of the River Liffey, and has grown eastward around the shores of Dublin Bay, southward to the granite-cored Dublin Mountains, and to the north and west it has spread across low-lying arable land underlain by Carboniferous limestone.

The Republic of Ireland (population 3.5 million) includes 26 of the 32 counties in the island of Ireland, and it became independent from the United Kingdom in 1922. The remaining six counties make up the province of Northern Ireland, where people are divided between those who identify with the Republic and those whose loyalty is toward the UK. Until the 1960s Ireland's economy was largely agricultural, causing many of its people to leave for other lands. The past 30 years have seen the country attract considerable foreign investment and move into a modern industrialized era, such that employment levels are good and the historic pattern of emigration has reversed. The currency is the Irish pound (IR£), which is currently worth about 1.45 US$, and English is the official language. The Irish language is taught in schools, used in the civil service, and is still spoken in some rural communities.

Ireland's weather is dominated by the unpredictable influence of the Atlantic Ocean. In late July it may be dry, even sunny, but may equally well be cool, wet, and blustery. Temperatures fluctuate between about 10° and 25°C (48° and 77°F), and darkness falls gradually around 9:45 p.m.

Trinity College is Ireland's oldest university, and was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. It occupies a picturesque 14-hectare (40-acre) walled campus with gracious modern and historic buildings, cobbled squares, trees, and open spaces -- an oasis of tranquillity in the heart of the bustling city of Dublin. Excellent shops are located immediately beside the university in the Grafton Street area, as are numerous pubs and restaurants. Banks are also close by, and museums, theaters, art galleries, and parks are within a few minutes' walk. A selection of places of interest, well worth a visit, are listed elsewhere in this announcement under the heading "Guest Program."

Public transportation in Dublin is by bus, train, or taxi. Buses are the primary means of transportation, and you pay when you get on, so have coins ready. The suburban rail, known as the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit), stops close to Trinity College and serves the coastal strip between the village of Howth (pronounced Hoath) to the north and the town of Bray to the south. Howth and Bray both offer spectacular hill and coastal walks. Taxis are fairly expensive but very convenient, and a taxi rank is located just outside Trinity's Front Gate in College Green. Traffic is often congested, so allow yourself plenty of time if a late arrival would prove disastrous.

Scientific Program

Scientific sessions will take place in the university's Arts Building, located near the southwestern corner of the campus. The full program and abstracts are available on line, viewable in PDF format. (To download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader click here.) Downloadable session files are also available for those with slow remote access.

A total of 214 abstracts have been selected for oral presentation, and are scheduled in parallel sessions in the adjacent 200-seat Walton and Ussher Theatres from Monday morning through Friday noon, with the exception of Wednesday afternoon. Morning sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m., breaking early for lunch (at or around 12:00 noon when the city's many nearby food outlets are still uncrowded). Afternoon sessions will commence at 1:30 p.m. Medalist lectures will be given at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning in the nearby 400-seat Edmund Burke Theatre. Session topics are detailed on the meeting calendar.

A poster session will be held early on Monday evening on the concourse beside the Edmund Burke Theatre and in the neighboring Samuel Beckett Room. Refreshments will be served. Posters will remain on display throughout the entire week. Poster display space will be at least 4 ft wide × 3 ft high (120 cm × 90 cm). Authors of posters needing a larger display area should contact the organizers beforehand. Velcro tabs and pins for mounting posters will be available at the registration desk.

Abstracts will be published as a supplemental issue of Meteoritics & Planetary Science, which will be part of the registration package at the meeting.

Council Meeting and Other Committee Meetings

Committees will meet in the Conference Room. This room is located at street level on the righthand side of the walkway through the Arts Building going toward the Nassau Street gate; take the first door on the right, and then again take the first door on the right. The Council of the Meteoritical Society will meet here at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, the Nomenclature Committee will meet at the close of morning sessions on Monday, and the editorial board of Meteoritics & Planetary Science will meet at the same time on Tuesday. A sandwich lunch will be provided on Monday and Tuesday.

Registration

Form and Fees: The registration form must be returned to Dublin (either by mail or fax) and NOT to the LPI. Reduced fees were applicable only until June 14, 1998; participants may still register at the higher rate, and we encourage people to please register ahead of the meeting; failing this, a brief fax or e-mail message that you intend to register at the meeting would be most helpful. Every effort has been made to keep registration fees within the level set for recent meetings. Guest registration fees include the welcome and farewell receptions, the Irish night, and the banquet.

Cancellation Policy: Registration fees will be refunded in full (less any bank charges) for cancellations received before July 13, 1998. From July 14 through July 20, a 50% refund will be made. No refund will be paid for cancellations after July 20.

Registration Location: The registration desk will be located on the concourse (at street level) of the Arts Building, close to the Nassau Street entrance near the southwestern corner of the campus. You are asked to register, if possible, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, but you may register any time after this providing the desk is staffed.

Messages and E-Mail Access

Personal messages will be displayed at the registration desk. A number of computer terminals will be available to anyone wishing to access their e-mail accounts remotely. The phone number for the registration desk is +353-1-608 1647; incoming phone calls to the university switchboard (+353-1-677 2941) or the university inquiries office (+353-1-608 1724) will be transferred to the registration desk. Voice-mail messages may be left at +353-1-608 1252. Several pay phones for outgoing calls are available on the concourse. Coin-operated photocopying machines are also available.

Accommodations

Dublin has become a very popular tourist destination over the past two or three years, and late July is one of the busiest periods. It is important, therefore, to reserve accommodations before arriving in Dublin; on more than one recent occasion, the city has literally run out of beds for visitors! University rooms have already been booked by a large majority of those attending the meeting, and although the official deadline for reserving rooms has passed, some space may still be available, at least for the actual dates of the meeting (arriving July 26, departing July 31). Check availability and book reservations by e-mail (isanders@tcd.ie). If you have to cancel your room booking, full refunds (less bank charges) will be made up until July 20. Thereafter you may have to forfeit one night's accommodation charge, provided the organizers are informed. For reservations outside the university, contact one of the following room-finding services:

Gulliver: This is an international toll-free reservation service for accommodation throughout Ireland. From telephones in Ireland, the UK, France, and Germany, dial 00800 668 668 66. From the USA, dial 011-800-668-668-66. From other countries, the call is not toll-free; dial +353-66 92068.

Dublin Tourism: Phone: +353-1-605 7777; Fax: +353-1-605 7787; E-mail: Dublin_Tourism@msn.com; Internet: http://www.visit.ie/Dublin.

This official tourist organization provides a room reservation service for all the places described in the second announcement and many more for a nominal fee of £3. A 10% booking deposit must be paid to secure your reservation. It is best to find a room within easy walking distance of the university or, if you want cheaper accommodation in the suburbs, very close to a DART (suburban rail) station.

Bed Finders: 8 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Phone: +353-1-670 4704; Fax: +353-1-670 5354

This is a friendly private venture recently set up to find accommodation, often at short notice. Fee is £5, and a 10% booking deposit must be paid.

If You Have Reserved Accommodation in the University

If you are staying in the university you should first go to the Accommodations Office to check in. A taxi can bring you right to the door of this office; vehicle access is through the gate at Lincoln Place (recently reopened, open 8:00 a.m. until midnight) at the southeastern corner of the campus. However, it is less than 50 meters to walk from the Front Gate. If you are on foot, head toward the Front Gate (at the western end of the campus, on College Green, facing Dame Street). On entering the college grounds, walk immediately to the left over cobbles along two sides of the lefthand lawn to the uninspiring black door (facing you) of the Accommodations Office with its large brass letter box. The Front Gate closes on Saturdays and Sundays at 6:30 p.m., so if you arrive later than this go instead to the Nassau Street entrance (on the southern side of the campus), which is open on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until midnight and on Sunday from 6:00 p.m. until midnight, and use the campus map to find the Accommodations Office. Incidentally, the Nassau Street entrance is right next to the conference center, where registration and lectures will take place.

The Accommodations Office is open every day from 8:00 a.m. until midnight. Check-in time is at 2:00 p.m. (and rooms must be vacated by 10:00 a.m. on the day of departure). If you stated on your booking form that you would be arriving in the morning after an overnight flight, you may be allowed in your room before 2:00 p.m. IF the room is ready. If the room is not ready, you may leave your baggage at the Accommodations Office and go for coffee or a stroll while it is being prepared. If you arrive after midnight, knock on the Front Gate and a member of the university security staff will let you in and help you find your room. Phone beforehand, if possible, to announce your late arrival. The phone number for the Accommodations Office is 608 1177, and for the Front Gate lodge is 608 1317. A continental breakfast (quite sufficient for most people) is served in the Dining Hall (or in the Hamilton Building for those with rooms at the east end of the college) between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m., and is included in the room price. If you are very hungry, either help yourself to additional food, or pay an extra £3 and have a cooked breakfast with fried eggs and sausages.

If you are arriving in your own car, enter the campus by the Lincoln Place gate, where you will be given directions to the Accommodations Office. You will be given a parking permit and instructions on where to park the car. Parking is only available to those staying at the university, and is free of charge. It is not necessary to rent a car during the meeting since all amenities, and most places of interest, are a short walk or bus ride from the university. Cars can be rented on a daily basis from the city center if needed, but rental is expensive.

How to Get to Trinity College from the Airport

If you are arriving by air, you may travel to the center of the city by bus or taxi. The airport lies about 8 miles due north of Trinity College, and the travel time is between 20 minutes and 1 hour depending on traffic conditions. On leaving the Arrivals Hall at the airport, walk right for taxis, and stay put or go left for buses. The taxi fare is between £12 and £15. An express bus service (£2.50 one way) will bring you to the central bus station, which is 15 minutes on foot from the university. The regular city bus (number 41, fare £1.10) brings you to Eden Quay, a 10-minute walk from the university. Use the maps provided to help you find your way once you leave the bus.

Money

Major credit cards are widely accepted, and cash-dispensing machines are abundant on the walls of the many banks close to the university. If you are changing money, remember that Bank of Ireland kindly sponsored the meeting. Its Bureau de Change is in College Green. Food and drink (in fact most things) are fairly expensive by U.S. standards. However, residents of countries outside the European Community are able to enjoy tax-free prices in some shops (roughly a 17% discount).

Security

Dublin is a fairly safe city, but is not without security problems. Pickpockets and handbag thieves operate in crowded places, so take sensible precautions with your money and other valuables. In the evening and at night you are encouraged not to explore Dublin streets west of Christchurch Cathedral on the south of the river, or north and east of O'Connell Street and the Quays (river bank) on the north side. If you are on foot after dusk, stay in a group if possible and use well-lit streets.

Child Care

No inquiries were received about the university creche (advertised in the second announcement). If you are anxious to have babies or young children (up to about 6 years old) looked after during the day, please inform the meeting convener immediately. If there is enough demand, a qualified babysitter will be hired, and a room near the lecture theaters will be provided. The likely cost will be around £50 per child for the week. Also, evening babysitting (e.g., on the night of the banquet) can be arranged through the convener at £3.5 per hour plus the taxi fare home for the babysitter, but prior notice (if possible by e-mail before the meeting) must be given.

Social Program

On Sunday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. a welcome reception with wine and savories will be addressed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin in the university's old Examination Hall.

On Tuesday evening an "Irish Night" will include a buffet supper, Irish music and dancing (instructions and teachers supplied), and the sampling of products of the Guinness brewery. This event will take place from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. in the 18th century University Dining Hall. It will be preceded by the presentation at 7:00 p.m. of the Nier Prize and what should be a stunning display of traditional Irish dancing by the Clarke Troupe in the Edmund Burke Theatre. Prior to this, at 5:30 p.m., following the close of scientific sessions, refreshments will be served in the poster display area, and there will be a special viewing of the famous Book of Kells (opened at the "In Principio" page from which the meeting logo was taken) and the impressive Long Room in the Old Library building.

Wednesday afternoon is free. It is hoped that most people will avail themselves of one of the following five specially arranged activities. Please pre-book if possible by e-mail (isanders@tcd.ie), ranking your order of preference, to be sure of a place on a trip. Otherwise, you can sign up on Sunday or Monday at the registration desk. Registration fees may not cover the entire cost of the bus trips, so a nominal charge (probably £5) may have to be levied. The number of slots available for each trip is listed in parentheses after each description.

· A tour to Birr Castle (2.5 hours drive) to see the magnificently restored "Leviathan," which for 50 years was the largest telescope in the world, built by the Third Earl of Rosse in the early 1840s. After a tour of the castle and grounds there will be time to have an evening meal in Birr before returning to Dublin around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. (50 maximum)

· A scenic tour to Glendalough, a ruined monastic settlement in a picturesque glaciated valley 30 miles south of Dublin, followed by a visit to the Avoca Hand Weavers shop. Will return to Dublin around 6:30 p.m. (50 maximum)

· A scenic tour of Blessington Lake and mountains southwest of Dublin, including a visit to Russborough House with its magnificent art collection. Will return to Dublin around 6:30 p.m. (50 maximum)

· Stay in Dublin for an educational afternoon learning how sunshine can be trapped in liquid form, and the energy later released — a twin visit to the Irish Whiskey Corner (from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.) followed by the Guinness Hop Store (from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.). Entry fees of £3 for each place include alcoholic refreshments. (50+)

· A trip by DART (suburban rail) to the fishing village of Howth, and the grounds of Howth Castle (inhabited by the same family since around 1200 AD), north of Dublin. Here you can play golf (green fees are £4.50 for a 9-hole course, £9 for 18 holes, and £4 for rent of clubs), or choose one of a variety of walks (from 30 minutes to 3 hours in length) with spectacular views and scenery, then retire for a quiet drink and/or a meal at the Deer Park Hotel or the Bloody Stream Pub before returning by DART to Dublin. (Unlimited)

The organized trip to Newgrange, 30 miles north of Dublin, that was advertised in the second announcement will not take place on Wednesday after all, because access to the site is fully booked for groups. However, Newgrange may be visited independently, with guaranteed access, on Monday or Tuesday morning and Thursday and Saturday afternoons with Grayline Tours for £14.50 per person. Make your own reservation in advance with Grayline at +353-1-605 7705 or by e-mail at grayline@tlp.ie. Departures are at 10:00 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. from Suffolk Street, two minutes from the university.

Those preferring to spend Wednesday afternoon on their own, away from meteoriticists, may wish to choose from the places of interest listed below under "Guest Program."

On Thursday evening the annual banquet will be held in the Great Hall of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham (built 1680), located three miles from the university. Diners will make their own way to Kilmainham (by taxi or city bus), but buses will be provided for the return journey to Trinity College and the city center. The banquet will be a traditional sit-down dinner; formal dress (black tie) is optional but encouraged. The dinner will be followed by the presentation of the Leonard and Barringer medals.

On Friday a lunch-time farewell reception will take place in the Examination Hall after the close of the scientific sessions.

Guest Program

During the week of the meeting, Dublin offers a variety of interesting things to do and places to visit. Museums and art galleries are free. Some suggested half-day outings are listed below:

Museums and Art Galleries

· The National Museum in Kildare Street and its exhibition of Irish gold. Closed Mondays.

· The National Gallery in Merrion Square

· The Chester Beatty Library and Museum of Oriental Art (with jade books, sapphire snuff bottles, and Babylonian seals). A short bus or taxi ride away. Closed Mondays.

Interesting Buildings

· St. Patrick's Cathedral, Marsh's Library, and Christchurch Cathedral

· The Casino at Marino (a short bus or taxi ride away, but well worth the effort)

· Trinity College (hard to miss!)

· The Bank of Ireland and the House of Lords (2 College Green)

· Dublin Castle

Outdoors

· St. Stephen's Green

· Dublin Zoo (a bus ride away). Popular with children, a first-rate zoo.

· The Botanic Gardens (a bus ride away)

Indoors

· The Guinness Hop Store and the Irish Whiskey Corner

· Shopping in Grafton Street

Out of Dublin

· A ride to Howth or Bray on the DART (bathing beaches, but a bit chilly)

· Newgrange, or other bus outing offered by Grayline Tours (e-mail address above)

All the above, and several other places of interest, are described in more detail, including opening times, transportation information, and entry charges, on the Trinity College Meteoritical Society page, and will also be described in a booklet to be included with the registration packet. It is assumed that most people will wish to make their own way, in their own time, to these places. Some guided tours are, however, being planned, and will be advertised at registration, for those who prefer not to go around on their own. Note that the viewing of Trinity College's Long Room and Book of Kells are now included during the social planned for Tuesday evening, so you can avoid the crowds and save your money!

Finally, remember that Dublin offers excellent live theater on all evenings except Sunday. Seats can (and probably should) be booked and paid for by credit card before you come to Dublin. Check the Trinity College Meteoritical Society page for phone numbers and reviews.

Postconference Field Trips

The two postconference field trips are fully booked, and registered participants will be informed individually about the details of the program.

Self-Guided Tours and Car Rental

For those planning to spend time in Ireland before or after the meeting, one popular way of doing it is to rent a car and go as you please, staying with Irish families in bed-and-breakfast (B and B) accommodations, which are widely available and an excellent value. In July and August it is advisable to make reservations, which can be done through the local office of Bord Failte (The Irish Tourist Board) who sell a book listing all registered accommodations. Many excellent B and Bs are not registered with Bord Failte, so if a listed one has no vacancies, simply ask the proprietor to suggest an alternative.

If you wish to rent a car you are strongly advised to make a reservation in advance because late July is the peak tourist season, and Monday, August 3, is a public holiday. Prices are high partly because they include insurance, although insurance is usually included if payment is made using a Visa or Mastercard Gold Card. Perhaps the best value is Payless/Bunratty Car Rentals (phone: +353-6-145 1741; fax: +353-6-145 2516), who quote £280 per week for a Toyota Carina (reduced to £220 with a Gold Card) and £210 per week for a Renault Clio (reduced to £175 with a Gold Card). Budget quotes £356 (£300 with Gold Card) for a Carina. Prices include all taxes. Cars can be rented on a daily basis from central Dublin (approximately £55). Most cars have manual transmission, so if you want an automatic you must ask. In Ireland, as in Britain, one drives on the left side of the road.

Back to top of page   Back to Trinity College MetSoc page

Back to LPI's MetSoc page