The Royal Irish Academy is co-ordinating the year-long Hamilton celebration in conjunction with the Institute of Physics, which is responsible for Einstein year.
The programme will be formally launched later this month (see www.hamilton2005.ie).
Events planned include everything from a science film festival and a TV documentary about Irish icons of science to public lectures by three Nobel laureates: chemist Sir Harry Kroto (February 4th), economist (and subject of the film Beautiful Mind) John Nash (April 6th), and physicist Stephen Weinberg (October 17th).
Anybody passing through Dublin Airport's Pier A can view an exhibition celebrating 12 great Irish scientists. There will also be a commemorative silver coin, and yet another stamp, to join those issued in 1943 and 1983, so by end of year, William Rowan Hamilton will surely become one of the most stamped Irish man.
TCD's Hamilton Mathematics Institute (www.hamilton.tcd.ie), established in Hamilton's memory, is hosting various events, including lunchtime talks about noted Irish scientists each Wednesday until February 23rd (1pm, Emmet Theatre, Arts Block).
Watch out for two plays featuring physicists on the Dublin stage: Brecht's Life of Galileo at the Project (February 17th-March 5th), and Improbable Frequency at the Abbey Theatre (March-April), both staged by Rough Magic.
Read about Hamilton and his work at various web sites and in Passion and Precision: Physicists of Ireland, ed McCartney & Whitaker (Institute of Physics 2003, www.iop.org).
Dunsink Observatory holds telescope open nights on the first and third Wednesday nights each month until April. Send an SAE for free tickets to: Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, Dublin 15.