Minerals in Action: European Researchers' Night

Name: Minerals in Action: European Researchers' Night
Start: 2026-09-25T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-09-25T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Trinity College

About the event

Modern life runs on minerals — and they're everywhere. Minerals in Action brings the world of rocks and minerals to life at Trinity College Dublin as part of European Researchers' Night, and admission is completely free.

The E3 Martin Naughton Learning Foundry becomes a hub of discovery for the evening, with hands-on experiments, demonstrations, games, talks and interactive activities. Budding young scientists can investigate minerals for themselves, while visitors meet the researchers and geologists behind the work and explore Ireland's mining past, present and future.

Ever wondered what is really inside your phone? A typical smartphone holds around 15–20 grams of copper, and Ireland's own copper mining goes back to Allihies in West Cork in 1812. From smartphones and electric vehicles to renewable energy and even cosmetics, the evening shows how materials that formed over millions of years became essential to everyday life.

Suitable for families with curious children, students, science enthusiasts and anyone who has ever wondered where our raw materials come from. It's a drop-in event, so you can arrive at any time between 6pm and 9pm. There are prizes to be won on the night.

Minerals in Action is funded by the European Union's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Citizens Programme. Free tickets can be booked in advance.