Dunsink Observatory

Dunsink Observatory was founded in 1774 at a cost of £8,000, most of which was donated by Francis Andrew, a Professor at Trinity College. The telescope which is used at Dunsink was donated by James South, President of the Astronomical Society of England. He had smuggled the telescope out of France for his private observatory in London. However he had a disagreement with the builders. He donated the lens to Dunsink where it was erected in 1868. Dunsink has made many important contributions to science. Sir William Hamilton became a world famous mathematician. Prof. Taoking joined Dunsink in 1966 and had an asteroid named after him in the 1980's. Dunsink was involved in the first Irish space experiment aboard the shuttle Challenger in 1988.

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