Apr
25
10:30
An Claíomh Solais – the Sword of Light in Early Irish and Indo-European tradition
Professor Charles Doherty, UCD
- 📅Thursday, April 25, 2024
- 🕥10:30 - 12:30
- 🏟Bray Golf Club(map)
In 1916 a sword was brought up by fishermen from bottom of Ballyshannon Harbour. Unique in Ireland, it is one of about eighty such swords found throughout Europe. They are classed as anthropoid since the hilt has a human shape – the pommel represents the head while the arms and legs form the guards. These have been an object of study since the 1920s. There has been no conclusion concerning the rationale of the anthropoid form or purpose for which these swords/daggers were created. Using Early Irish and Indo-European literature and mythology, alongside the archaeological evidence, I propose an interpretation that may provide a solution to the enigma of these objects.
Apr
25
12:30
Keep this Date for your Diary
Spring/Summer Lunch
- 📅Thursday, April 25, 2024
- 🕥12:30 - 15:00
- 🏟Bray Golf Club(map)
We have arranged with Adelaide, our BGC hostess and José, our BGC chef, to have lunch on THURSDAY 25th April following the talk given by Dr Charles Doherty.
The cost of the lunch is 20€ with a choice of meat, fish or vegetatian dish.
As on previous occasions, to guarantee the numbers of attendees for the kitchen staff, I would be grateful if we could pay for our meal in advance.
Please bring your NAMED envelopes (including 20€) this Thursday April 11th .
May
09
10:30
How does Google work: search maps
Professor Alan Smeaton
- 📅Thursday, May 9, 2024
- 🕥10:30 - 12:30
- 🏟Bray Golf Club(map)
Google (technically known as Alphabet) is one of the most profitable companies in the world with a huge brand name recognised around the world and a range of digital services that we have stealthily become utterly dependent on within less than a generation. Their annual turnover is so large that if they were a country they would be the same size as Hungary. They have an important presence in Ireland with 5,500 direct full-time employees out of their 180,000 staff globally. Google is the dominant force in the very lucrative search engine market answering more than 90% of searches globally, except in China where Google is blocked. But how did they get to be so dominant, what makes Google different from their competitors, how do they maintain that stranglehold on the search business, and how does their search engine, their YouTube and even their Maps systems actually work ? In this talk I will give an overview of this most intriguing of companies and their services and also address how they are threatened by ChatGPT.
Alan Smeaton is Professor of Computing at Dublin City University where he has been Dean and Head of School of Computing. He is an established and well-known AI researcher for many years and was recently appointed to the Irish Government's AI Advisory Council.
May
16
10:30
Visit to the gardens of Castle Howard Estate, Avoca, Co. Wicklow FULLY BOOKED
- 📅Thursday, May 16, 2024
- 🕥10:30 - 13:00
A date for your diary: Thursday, 16th May, 2024
Visit to the gardens of Castle Howard Estate, Avoca, Co. Wicklow.
A beautiful formal garden with Clock Tower folly, terraces, rose garden, box hedging and woodland walks.
This will be a morning visit from 10.30 to 13.00 in the afternoon. Bookings will open in early April.
May
24
11:00
Boat trip to the Great Saltee Island, Friday, 24th May, sailings 11.00am and 12 noon
- 📅Friday, May 24, 2024
- 🕥11:00 - 15:00
Some of you may remember that in June 2022 we had a most enjoyable trip to the Great Saltee Island. We intend to return to the island this year on Friday, 24th May.
Margaret Merne, who leads our walking group, knows the Great Saltee Island and has generously agreed to walk with us to places where nesting seabirds, such as puffins and gannets amongst others, may be found.
This is an opportunity to see one of our wildest and most beautiful nature reserves and to experience an environment dominated by wildlife.
Visitors have 4 hours to explore the island. There are NO facilities. Bring suitable clothing, packed lunch, a drink, a camera and binoculars (if you have them). The boat sails regardless of whether the sun is shining or not and you will not get a refund because it is wet and cold. You must be reasonably agile as you have to get from the ferry on to a dinghy and then on to shore and back again.
YOU MUST BOOK YOUR FERRY TICKET YOURSELF
If you are interested in joining Margaret and other members of The Bray Heads U3A please make your own booking on
https://salteeferry.com/saltee-ferry-saltee-islands-kilmore-quay/
It is imperative that you read the information on this website. All visits are entirely at your own risk.
When: Friday, 24th May 2024, ferry sailings at 11.00am and 12 noon
Where to go: Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford
We will meet at the landing place on the island.
Ferry Fare: €30 return pp
If you intend to join us please let us know which sailing you will be on by sending an email to info@thebrayheadsu3a.ie with Saltee Island in the subject heading.
Jun
06
10:00
Uncoiling the Ropes: A Climbing Life
Clare Sheridan has been at the forefront of Irish climbing for decades and has long been a role model for women climbers.
- 📅Thursday, June 6, 2024
- 🕥10:00 - 12:00
- 🔗Publisher - Mweelrea Press - Clare Sheridan "Uncoiling the Ropes . The memoir of a trailblazing Irish climber"
1970s Ireland had a message for Clare Sheridan; "Girls don't climb" But in an era when there was no shortage of voices telliing women how they should behave, Clare wasn't listening. Fresh out of convent boarding school, she was determined to venture onto steep rock and see the world from a different perspective. Climbing quickly became her passion and Clare's thirst for adventure was matched only by her courage. She was soon recognised as a pioneering leader by the top climbers of the day, not least Belfast mountaineer Calvin Torrans, the love of her life, whom she met on her first trip to the Alps. They have been climbing together ever since, tackling some of the most difficult routes on mountains all over the world and achieving a phenomenal succession of first ascents on Irish Cliffs, even as they raised a family of three.
In this talk, Clare will recreate in vivid detail the fears, the triumphs and the losses of a lifetime of heart-stopping adventures along with reflections on risk and courage, motherhood, self-belief and the joy of living fearlessly.
In 2014, Clare was the first woman to be awarded the Lynam medal by Mountaineering Ireland, and The Irish Times said, "She is to mountaineering what Sonia O'Sullivan is to athletics and Katie Taylor to boxing."
Clare has written many articles for The Irish Mountain Log and co-edited numerous rock climbing guidebooks along with her husband, climbing legend Calvin Torrans.
Jun
12
11:00
A visit to Trinity College Dublin
- 📅Wednesday, June 12, 2024
- 🕥11:00 - 12:30
NOTE: CHANGE OF DATE
The tour will visit lesser known parts of Trinity College and will be led by Jane Grimson and Bruce Misstear
Details to follow.
Jun
14
10:30
SUMMER BREAK TO 6 SEPTEMBER
- 📅Friday, June 14, 2024
- 🕥10:30 - 12:30
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