Amundsen Exhibition Opens at NUI Galway until July
To celebrate World Oceans Day, a unique exhibition on Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole was officially opened at NUI Galway by Minister Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources on Thursday, 8 June at 6.30pm.
Her Excellency Else Berit Eikeland, Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy to Ireland said she is delighted that the exhibition will be on display in Galway.
"Amundsen's party had immense courage and determination to make the dangerous trek across the ice and snow to reach the South Pole. This exhibition offers a pictorial account of the expedition and of Amundsen, one of the greatest figures in the field of polar exploration and a national hero for a very young nation," Ms Else Berit Eikeland said.
Amundsen was the first in the world to navigate the Northwest Passage and the first to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911. Norwegian Polar history is closely connected to defining Norway as an independent state in 1905, and to Norway's position as a state closely connected to the oceans and to polar regions.
Cold Recall – Roald Amundsen's Reflections from the South Pole will be on display in the O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway from Friday, 9 June to Saturday, 8 July.
Speaking in advance of the opening, President of NUI Galway Dr Jim Browne, said: "NUI Galway is delighted to host this interesting exhibition on the history of polar exploration. Fascinating in its rich depiction of Amundsen and his endeavours it will be a great attraction for visitors and locals alike. Polar exploration remain
s a rich source for academic researchers and here in NUI Galway our academics are engaged with polar research in a range of ways and in such diverse field as particle physics, climate change, marine biology and biodiscovery, and even the literary history of polar travel. We are very pleased to work with the Marine Institute and the Norwegian Embassy to bring this exhibition to Galway for Seafest 2017."
The exhibition will run in association with SeaFest 2017, taking place in Galway from 30 June to 2 July in Galway.
The exhibition is a collaboration between NUI Galway and the Marine Institute, in association with the Norwegian Embassy and the Fram Museum, Oslo.
Dr Peter Heffernan CEO of the Marine Institute said, "Thanks to the support of the Norwegian Embassy, the Fram Museum and NUI Galway, we are able to offer this exhibition as part of the SeaFest festival programme. The exploration and voyages across our oceans and particularly Amundsen's extraordinary journey to the South Pole are important to our maritime history. Through this exhibition, visitors can remember and celebrate one of the most remarkable feats of exploration."The Fram Museum in Oslo focuses on telling the story of Norwegian polar exploration. It was inaugurated on 20 May 1936. It honours Norwegian polar exploration in general and three great Norwegian polar explorers in particular—Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen.
ENDS
For further information on SeaFest please see: www.seafest.ie
About NUI Galway
The University was established in the heart of Galway City, on the west coast of Ireland, in 1845. Since then it has advanced knowledge teaching and learning, through research and innovation, and community engagement.
Over 18,000 students study at NUI Galway, where 2,600 staff provide the very best in research-led education.
NUI Galway's teaching and research is recognised through its consistent rise in international rankings. The University is placed in the Top 250 of both the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016/2017 and the QS World University Rankings 2016/17.
With an extensive network of industry, community and academic collaborators around the world, NUI Galway researchers are tackling some of the most pressing issues of our times. Internationally renowned research centres based here include CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, Moore Institute, Institute for Life course and Society and The Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy.
NUI Galway has been listed as one of the most beautiful universities in Europe according to Business Insider. For more information visit www.nuigalway.ie or view all NUI Galway news here.
*The University's official title is National University of Ireland Galway. Please note that the only official abbreviation is NUI Galway.
About the Marine Institute
The Marine Institute is the national agency for marine research, technology, development and innovation. We seek to assess and realise the economic potential of Ireland's marine resource, promote sustainable development of marine industry through strategic funding programmes and essential scientific services, as well as safeguard Ireland's natural marine resource through research and environmental monitoring.
The Marine Institute co-ordinates SeaFest on behalf of the cross-government Marine Coordination Group, working together with a wide range of agencies and organisations. SeaFest showcases Ireland's abundant maritime resources – raising awareness of the value and opportunities provided by the sea. SeaFest includes fun, family friendly events from June 30th to July 2nd in Galway Harbour – from seafood cookery to science, cultural history to deep exploration and much more.