Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has joined two other historic observatories in a formal bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for their shared astronomical heritage.
The Armagh institution is partnering with the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation in County Offaly and Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies’ Dunsink Observatory. Together, the three sites are known as the Historic Astronomical Observatories of Ireland, or HAOI.
The partnership will work to advance research, education and outreach while seeking recognition for the observatories’ scientific and historic importance. The announcement was reported on 16 August 2026.
What UNESCO status could mean for Armagh
World Heritage status provides legal protection for buildings or sites judged to have outstanding universal value. The designation is intended to ensure that conserving those places is considered important.
Professor Michael Burton, director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, described the agreement as a “landmark step”.
“We are delighted to see our Unesco ambitions moving forward and look forward to this exciting bid progressing in the months ahead.”
He said a successful designation would put the Armagh site “on the map” internationally and recognise its scientific importance.
“Being designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site would truly put Armagh Observatory and Planetarium on the map and give it global recognition as a world-class site of outstanding scientific importance.”
Professor Burton also said the observatory was the oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland and the longest continuously operating astronomical research institute in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Historic buildings, telescopes and the nomination process
Armagh, Birr and Dunsink contain preserved historic observatories, domestic buildings and grounds associated with them. Several original telescopes remain fixed within their domes or other structures.
HAOI is seeking to appoint a project coordinator for a five-year term. The successful role will organise the activities needed to develop the nomination, moving the proposal through the required process.
The bid is expected to feature the story of Romney Robinson, who served as director of Armagh Observatory from 1823 until his death in 1882. Robinson invented the cup anemometer, an instrument used to measure wind speed, and was president of the Royal Irish Academy. He won a Royal Medal in 1862.
The Leviathan Telescope at Birr will also have a central role in the proposal. The telescope was used in the 1840s to identify the spiral structure of the Whirlpool Nebula.
The observatories’ next public milestone will come at World Heritage UK’s annual conference in Portrush, County Antrim, in October, where the UNESCO nomination bid will feature.