Athenry photographer in the running for national award

AN ATHENRY photographer has been shortlisted in the 2026 Reach for the Stars Astrophotography Competition.

Nine entries from six Galway photographers have been shortlisted across three categories in the competition, which has been organised by the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).

'A Bubble in Outer Space', an image belonging to Athenry's David Mackie, has been shortlisted in the Out of this World category. This category is for images of astronomical objects, including the sun, moon, planets, and deep-sky objects such as nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.

From the moon rising in alignment with the Poolbeg Chimneys and the Milky Way arching over Ireland’s rugged coastline, to aurora lighting up the monuments, the entries to this year’s competition have highlighted the rich and varied beauty and wonder of Ireland’s night skies.

All the shortlisted images are available to view by visiting www.reachforthestars.ie. Members of the public are also invited to use the website to vote for their favourite image as part of the Public Choice Award. Voting is open until 5pm on Monday July 13.

“Each year the submissions to Reach for the Stars exceed all expectation in their creativity and technical ability, and this year the standard has been raised once again,” said Dr Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS.

“It is fantastic to see so many submissions from across Ireland, and I would encourage everyone to visit the website and have your say in voting for the image that stands out to you.”

The overall winners will be selected by a judging panel, from THE science, media and public engagement sectors. The panel this year includes Dan Dennison, Visual Editor with The Irish Times; Dr. Donnacha O’Driscoll, President of the Irish Astronomical Society; Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at DIAS; and Dr. Niamh Shaw, an engineer, scientist and writer.

The winning photographers will have their images published on The Irish Times and DIAS websites, be given passes to the three Astronomical Observatories of Ireland sites, and will receive a €500 voucher for photographic equipment as well as a digital subscription to The Irish Times.

The winners of the Public Choice category will each receive a €250 voucher for photographic equipment and passes to the three Astronomical Observatories of Ireland sites.