Visitors of all ages are invited to discover how creativity can bring mathematics to life at a major exhibition celebrating the connections between mathematics and art, alongside a free Family Day packed with hands-on activities at University of Galway.   The Exhibition of Mathematical Art, Craft, and Design will be on display in the Bailey Allen Hall at University of Galway from the 5th to 8th August and is part of the international Bridges 2026 Conference on Mathematics and the Arts.  The extensive artworks help to visualise different mathematical models and concepts while showing the deep connections of mathematics to art, music, architecture, and culture.   Exhibits include: Handmade paper weaving showing how a simple weaving technique unfolds into complex geometric forms A 3D-printed skeleton holding laser-cut wooden pieces to illustrate a mathematical object that exists beyond familiar geometry Discovering what happens when the famous Telstar football is reassembled into a sphere stitched from 20 white hexagons and 12 black pentagons, rearranged in alternative configurations A painting on silk celebrating five geometric tilings from Spain's Alhambra Palace. The exhibition features more than 200 original artworks by mathematicians, scientists and artists from all over the world, including Neal Bushaw, Amy Wendt, Dana Kolářová, Eleni Vamvakidi and Navah Langmeyer, whose work spans sculpture, quilting, painting, jewellery and digital design, reflecting the many ways mathematics can inspire artistic expression. The full art exhibition catalogue and artist statements can be viewed at:  https://gallery.bridgesmathart.org/exhibitions/bridges-2026-exhibition-of-mathematical-art   Many of the exhibiting artists use craft forms that are beloved of Galway craftspeople, such as crochet, knitting, origami and metalwork. It includes a piece by University of Galway Lecturer Dr Rachel Quinlan which uses origami as a practical way for exploring discrete geometry and wallpaper classification.  Bridges artists will be presenting hands-on activities for visitors at the Bridges Family Day on Saturday August 8th. The free Family Day will include 21 hands-on workshops related to mathematics and arts, a poetry reading, a short film festival and dance workshops in Áras na Mac Léinn.   Visitors can interact with a Giant Pantograph drawing machine made from bike parts and everyday materials; create 2D and 3D origami geometric shapes; explore new musical worlds by playing software versions of non-standard piano keyboard; train your own AI to read numbers and learn about algorithms; and explore mathematical ideas using a card, needle and thread. Details of the 21 workshops can be found at: https://www.bridgesmathart.org/b2026/bridges-2026-free-public-events/bridges-2026-family-day/. Run by the Bridges Organisation in collaboration with local organisers, the conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of mathematicians, scientists, artists, educators, musicians, writers, computer scientists, sculptors, dancers, weavers and model builders.  Local conference organiser, Dr Rachel Quinlan, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Galway, said: “Having participated and exhibited at the Bridges conferences for several years, it is a big pleasure for me to bring Bridges to University of Galway this year. Bridges celebrates the power of the creative arts to express and communicate mathematical meaning, and the mathematics that is inherent in many widely practised forms of art and craft.” A programme of research talks and paper presentations are part of the four-day conference as well as a mathematical fashion show that will take place on the evening of Friday August 7th in the Bailey Allen Hall.  International speakers include bestselling maths author and stand-up comedian Matt Parker and award-winning author Amy Alznauer. George Hart, President of the Bridges Organisation, said: “The Bridges Conference is an annual meeting where several hundred people who love mathematics and the arts come together to share their ideas, show their work, and get a creativity recharge from similar-minded people. Galway and Ireland is the perfect place for this, with its strong culture of the arts, including music, literature, and dance, and its history of significant mathematicians.“ The Bridges Organisation oversees the annual Bridges conference on mathematical connections in art, music, architecture, and culture. Since 1998, Bridges has travelled to North America, Europe, and Asia, and has attracted participants from over thirty countries.   Ends 

Discussion groups aimed at improving understanding of high blood pressure and supporting better cardiovascular health taking place across Cork, Dublin, Letterkenny, Limerick and Galway University of Galway is calling on members of the public to participate in patient discussion groups across Ireland to help develop a better understanding of blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular health. The discussion groups, led by University of Galway and supported by a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, patients, researchers and community organisations, including the Irish Heart Foundation, Croí and the Irish Kidney Association, will explore these issues by engaging directly with people living with high blood pressure and their families. The goal of the campaign is for University of Galway to lead the development of a plain-language, patient-friendly high blood pressure pathway that reflects European Society of Cardiology Guidelines and spans from management in primary care for the majority through to management in hospital/secondary care for the more complex cases. The language used will be informed by the patient voice and lived experience of those with hypertension. The call for participation forms part of the ongoing work of the Expert Steering Group on Hypertension Management, which made a compelling case to politicians in Leinster House in May for the need to tackle high blood pressure nationally by expanding structured blood pressure screening in primary care and commissioning a regional cardiovascular disease prevention framework with an all-Ireland reach. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Ireland, with the Irish Heart Foundation estimating the annual cost to the State is €1.7 billion, approximately half of which comprises direct health service costs. Up to 80% of strokes are preventable through earlier detection and better management of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly high blood pressure. Speaking about the call for patient involvement, Dr Susan Connolly, Consultant Cardiologist and a member of the Expert Steering Group, said: “Patients have a key role to play in improving their cardiovascular health, and that starts with understanding the risks associated with high blood pressure and hypertension. But the language we use to communicate the risk to our patients and how to reduce that risk through managing their blood pressure is equally important. We are encouraging patients to get involved in the development of this pathway to help empower people with a better understanding of these risks.” “As part of the Expert Steering Group’s work, we are calling for a shift towards a more structured, prevention-focused model that supports earlier detection, timely intervention and ongoing management. This will ultimately help patients reduce their risk of serious cardiovascular events before they occur.” Dr Natalie Walsh, Co-Lead of PPI Ignite Network Galway at University of Galway, said: “Patient involvement is central to our work, and we are calling on people to get involved in our discussion groups as we develop the plain-language high blood pressure pathway.” “Our goal is to create a pathway that empowers people to better understand and manage their high blood pressure, helping to prevent avoidable strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.” Discussion groups will be held across Cork, Dublin, Letterkenny, Limerick and Galway, and will take place in August and September. People interested in taking part are asked to contact ppi@universityofgalway.ie to register their interest by Friday, 31 July. The final pathway and supporting resources are expected to be completed by September 2026. Ends

Excavation uncovers unique combination of prehistoric portal and court tombs and artefacts dating back almost 6,000 years Archaeologists have rediscovered a ‘lost’ Neolithic tomb and located a second, previously unidentified, tomb during excavations at a prehistoric site revealing new evidence about the earliest farming communities in the west of Ireland. Led by Dr Michelle Comber and Dr Noel McCarthy of the Discipline of Archaeology at University of Galway, the excavation in the Maree area of Co Galway has revealed two different types of megalithic tombs dating back almost 6,000 years. Researchers believe the site represents the only known example in Ireland where a court tomb and a portal tomb are found together, offering important new evidence about the people who built them during the early Neolithic period - the first farmers in this part of the world. Court tombs were burial monuments with an open area or ‘court’ where ritual/ceremonial activities took place, while portal tombs were stone-built burial chambers marked by a large capstone. The discovery of these two monument types side-by-side provides a rare opportunity to examine different approaches to burial, ritual and monument building in the Ireland of the Stone Age. Project co-lead, Dr Michelle Comber, lecturer in Archaeology at University of Galway, said: “The chance to find and excavate sites like these within the area of our larger research project provides a golden opportunity to locate - and attempt to understand - the first farmers of this place. Working here with colleagues, students, and community members, playing a part in such important discoveries, is thrilling both professionally and personally. “The size and scale of the tombs, and the effort required to construct them, reflect a sizeable community living in and farming this part of coastal Galway. Their location right next to each other represents a meeting of two traditions, raising new questions about the nature of that interaction.” Project co-lead, Dr Noel McCarthy, lecturer in Archaeology at University of Galway said: “The opportunity to investigate a site like this is not something that occurs very often. Discovering the second monument has added a layer of complexity that informs our understanding of culture and society in the Neolithic period and beyond. Whole communities came together to create these monuments in what must have been great displays of group identity and religious expression.” Once thought completely destroyed, the court tomb at Prospecthill, Maree, has been uncovered by University of Galway archaeological excavations this summer. One of the southernmost examples of this type of tomb, it is also one of the largest discovered, at approximately 30m in length. Right beside the court tomb, and previously unrecorded as a burial monument, the remains of a large portal tomb have also been discovered. Its impressive capstone measures almost 4m in length and 1m thick, weighing an estimated 14 tonnes. Archaeologists on the site also identified a large bedrock pit in which the portal tomb was originally constructed. This enabled the exceptional preservation of the original burial deposits, providing a rare opportunity to investigate evidence from the monument's earliest use, offering fresh insights into how these communities honoured and buried their dead. The excavation uncovered stone tools, prehistoric pottery and cremated bone, including a small amethyst pendant from the portal tomb. While quartz beads are known from a few megalithic sites, nothing like this amethyst pendant is known from anywhere in Ireland. Both tomb types are dated to the early Neolithic period and, despite their name, both tombs represent much more than just places of burial. They were the focus of communal gatherings and rituals, some of which involved human remains and ancestral interaction. The discoveries have been made as part of the University of Galway research project, MAREE – Land Use Through Time, which is exploring how people lived and used the landscape in the area over thousands of years. The latest discoveries build on the project's first excavation season in 2025, when archaeologists confirmed Rathgurreen Ringfort as a high-status Early Medieval settlement occupied by rulers and nobles. That excavation uncovered links to trade and contact extending to Rome, Scotland, France and Scandinavia. This year's discoveries have extended the research project's timeline back into early prehistory, offering new evidence about the origins of farming, settlement and territoriality in the west of Ireland. This is key to understanding the long and continuing relationship between people and land in this landscape. The excavation is being carried out by researchers and students from University of Galway, alongside community volunteers, and hosted by the local landowner the Burke family, with support from the Royal Irish Academy and survey work by the Discovery Programme, the national archaeological research body supported by the Heritage Council. Ends