Ballinamore County Library is the place to be next week as one of Ireland's leading physicists will be in Leitrim to give a public lecture on the exciting subject of what was happening in the very early universe.

Dr. Créidhe O'Sullivan, physicist and senior lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) will be giving a talk Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30pm in Ballinamore Library, on the latest findings about the universe beginnings, entitled: 'New Views of the Early Universe'.

Dr. O'Sullivan, a physics graduate of UCD, did her PhD at Cambridge University and is interested in finding out about the very early conditions in the universe after the Big Bang – our best theory examining how everything began in the first place.

“I came to Maynooth 20 years ago after doing post-doctoral research in UCC and UCG. My interest lies in observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), the remnant radiation left over from the Big Bang,” the physicist explained.

NUI Maynooth is at the forefront of building instrumentation for studying the early cosmos, and O'Sullivan along with colleagues, is currently working in a top new international project.

“A particular strength of the Department of Experimental Physics in Maynooth is the design of optics for far-infrared telescopes – ideal for observing the CMB,” said O'Sullivan.

“I am currently working as part of an international collaboration to build QUBIC, a telescope designed to observe very faint polarisation features on the CMB.”

The lecture is organised by the Leitrim Astronomy Club as part of their monthly lecture series.

The Leitrim Astronomy Club, one of some 13 astronomy groups in Ireland, began life in the summer of 2016 looking to explore the dark skies of the county and nurture an interest in all aspects of astronomy. When weather permits the club takes advantage of Leitrim's clear night-skies to head out with telescopes and binoculars to observe the cosmos.

The club has 70 people in its database and has held talks in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Mohill and at its base in Ballinamore. Lecture topics have ranged on subjects from the basics of telescopes and observing the night-sky, to a stars life, recent planetary missions as well as about the intriguing world of relativity.

The lecture is open to the public and tea, coffee and biscuits will be served on the night.