Fleeting Sculpture at Science Week 2026

For Science Week 2026, Research Ireland has commissioned artist Daniel Doyle of Fleeting Sculpture to create a series of ice sculptures exploring the connections between water and life.

Water feels abundant. Seas and oceans surround this island, while rivers and lakes run through its landscapes. Water flows through our bodies, nourishes the food we eat and sustains the plants and animals around us. And yet, water is finite. It is precious. Through these sculptures, we invite people to see water differently: not as an endless resource at our disposal, but as something to be treasured. 

These works encourage us to consider the true value of water and our shared responsibility to care for it. Protecting water means protecting the ecosystems, communities and forms of life that depend upon it. 

This Sunday, 8th November 2026, watch the first sculpture take shape live at Limerick’s Crescent Shopping Centre. Live carving will take place from 12pm, and the finished sculpture will remain in place until the shopping centre closes at 6pm. Drop by any time, no booking required.

Coordinated annually by Research Ireland and running this year from November 8th-15th with hundreds of events nationwide, Science Week encourages everyone to think more about and celebrate science in our everyday lives. The initiative directly engages an audience of approximately 200,000 people each year through in-person events and online engagement. 

This year’s theme of Water is an invitation to look afresh at the substance that connects every aspect of life on Earth. We drink it, depend on it and are surrounded by it, yet water is far more than something that falls from the sky or flows from the tap. For Science Week 2026, Research Ireland is encouraging people to explore water – from the remarkable behaviour of a single molecule to the power of oceans, rivers and wetlands. It shapes our climate, sustains biodiversity, grows our food, supports our health and carries stories of our landscapes, communities and planet. Science Week will reflect on how water supports life, how climate change is altering the water systems we rely on, and how science can help us protect this vital shared resource for the future.

A jam-packed programme of events is now live! Explore what’s happening during Science Week at www.scienceweek.ie

What's on during Science Week 2026What's on during Science Week 2026