Science Week comes to Leitrim

True crime, The Traitors, women’s health, live science shows, pottery, river cruises and much more will form part of an exciting new Science Week festival taking place across Leitrim and Roscommon this November.

Running from 8-15 November, Science Week 2026 explores the theme Water: From Molecule to Ocean.

For the first time, Leitrim and Roscommon County Councils have partnered to deliver Ripple Effect: Leitrim & Roscommon Science Festival, bringing a packed programme of events to communities across both counties following the successful award of Research Ireland funding.

And while it may be Science Week, audiences shouldn’t expect a week of lectures and lab coats.

From real-life murders to murder on The Traitors, the programme has been designed to show just how much science is hidden in the stories, experiences and questions that are already part of everyday life.

True-crime fans can join crime writer and journalist Paul Williams and John Sweetman, former Garda Technical Bureau expert and host of the Lines of Enquiry podcast, for Following the Evidence, hosted by science communicator Barry Fitzgerald.

The evening will delve into past Irish crimes and investigations, exploring how evidence is collected and what happens when Ireland’s rainfall, weather or even water itself becomes part of the challenge.

From real-life investigations to the ultimate game of trust and deception, The Traitors Ireland will also feature in this year’s programme, featuring former Leitrim footballer and recent Traitors Ireland contestant Donal Casey, alongside sports psychologist Shane Carrington and host Barry Fitzgerald. Casey, whose promising football career was cut short following serious injury, will talk about resilience, setbacks and pressure on the football pitch before taking audiences inside the very different psychological battle he experienced in The Traitors castle.

Women’s health will also take centre stage in Changing Tides, with Dr Mary Ryan, Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician, in conversation with local pharmacist Maj Cunningham. In a relaxed and accessible evening, they will tackle the questions women often want answered about hormonal changes throughout life, including the signs of perimenopause, menopause, symptoms to look out for and how women can better look after themselves through the different stages of their lives.

Teenage girls will have an event of their own with Fuel, Feel, Flourish. The event features sports nutrition expert Dr Sharon Madigan, sports psychologist Jo-Anne Browne, GP Dr Tara Treacy and All-Ireland-winning Leitrim footballer Charlene Tyrrell. The energetic evening will offer real talk about food, skin, sport, confidence and understanding your body.

While several events focus on health, wellbeing and psychology, the festival also offers a wide range of hands-on experiences for children and families.

Mark the Science Guy, scientist, broadcaster and Head of Science & Sport at Explorium, will bring his trademark high-energy approach to the festival, while W5 will bring Extreme Existence: The Deep to Roscommon, taking young audiences into some of the most extreme environments on Earth. Mark Langtry is also known for RTÉ's Let's Find Out and for combining live demonstrations with highly interactive science experiences.

Water will run through the programme in some unexpected ways. Science Afloat will transform the Moon River boat in Carrick-on-Shannon into a floating laboratory, where families can take water samples directly from the Shannon, test the water, investigate freshwater creatures and explore the river around them.

The public will also have the opportunity to become scientists themselves through Rainfall Rivalry, a citizen science initiative in collaboration with Met Éireann.

Using nothing more than a recycled two litre plastic bottle, participants can create their own rain gauge, measure rainfall in their local area and submit their findings through the festival website.

Individuals, schools and community groups across Leitrim and Roscommon are encouraged to get involved, helping to build a picture of rainfall across the two counties. Everyone who takes part will also have the chance to win a weather station, kindly provided by Met Éireann.

There will be opportunities to get creative too, with Flowing Ceramics at Leitrim School of Art exploring water, clay and glazing through hands on pottery workshops for adults and children.

Elsewhere, audiences can expect everything from firefighters and the science of water pressure to soil, rivers, sensory play, sport, nature and family activities, with events taking place across Leitrim and Roscommon throughout the week.

The festival is part of the national Science Week programme delivered by Research Ireland, which this year invites people across Ireland to explore water and its connections to our health, environment, food, climate and everyday lives.

The festival aims to increase public engagement with science across rural communities while showcasing how research, innovation and scientific thinking influence everyday life in Leitrim and Roscommon.

The aim locally is simple: you shouldn’t have to think of yourself as a “science person” to find something in Science Week for you.

With events taking place across both counties, organisers are encouraging people to try something new during Science Week, whether that means stepping aboard a floating laboratory on the Shannon, learning the science behind a criminal investigation, exploring women's health or enjoying a live science show with the family.

The full programme and booking details will be released shortly. Follow Leitrim & Roscommon Science Festival on Facebook and Instagram or visit the festival website for updates www.https://leitrimroscommonscienceweek.weebly.com/