![\"Stewards](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0024d5f3-614.jpg\"\/)
\nStewards in Croke Park wear welding helmets to watch the solar eclipse<\/p>\n
Thousands of people gathered across the country to witness a rare partial solar eclipse, which covered more than 90% of the Sun.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest gatherings was at Phoenix Park in Dublin where huge crowds came out to experience the once-in-a-generation astronomical event.<\/p>\n
Crowds cheered and clapped as the skies darkened at the moment the Moon covered the Sun.<\/p>\n
A telescope had been erected to give people a safe view of the eclipse while others brought their own homemade viewing devices fashioned from cereal boxes.<\/p>\n
Colm Healey, from Dublin, said he came because it would be the only chance in his lifetime to see the rare celestial event.<\/p>\n
He said: “It is great to see the crowds here and so many people that are interested. I have got my eclipse glasses so I’m well prepared.”<\/p>\n
Watch: Timelapse of partial solar eclipse from Dublin<\/p>\n
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‘Thoroughly enjoyed it’ – hundreds turn out in Armagh for eclipse<\/p>\n
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Cork stargazers turn out en masse for solar eclipse<\/p>\n
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Jack Donovan and Paul Cantwell had travelled from Wicklow.<\/p>\n
Mr Cantwell said: “We wanted to come because we’ll never see anything like it again. It\u2019s such a rare occasion, it\u2019s cool.”<\/p>\n
“We haven’t got glasses but we\u2019ll hopefully get a view through the telescope.”<\/p>\n
At Croke Park, crowds watched the eclipse before the friendly football match between Manchester United and Leeds United.<\/p>\n
Two enterprising stewards had brought along welding masks to watch the eclipse safely.<\/p>\n
\nStewards in Croke Park wear welding helmets to watch the solar eclipse<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0024d5f7-614.jpg\"\/)
\nHuge crowds watched the partial solar eclipse in Phoenix Park (Pic: Collins)<\/p>\n
The observatories at Dunsink in Dublin and in Armagh, as well as at Blackrock Castle in Cork, organised viewing events, with public events also organised at Maynooth University in Co Kildare and Queen’s University Belfast.<\/p>\n
Several hundred people gathered in the grounds of Armagh Observatory where staff set up some specialist telescopes to enable people to view the eclipse safely.<\/p>\n
They also distributed 400 pairs of special glasses, which were snapped up in minutes.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0024cfc7-614.jpg\"\/)
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Many in the crowd arrived with homemade eclipse viewers, fashioned from cardboard boxes.<\/p>\n
Hundreds gathered too at Bell’s Field in Cork City to view the partial solar eclipse.<\/p>\n
The last eclipse which was visible in Ireland was in 1999.<\/p>\n
The eclipse was visible just after 6pm in Irish skies with maximum coverage of the sun occurring shortly after 7pm.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0024d442-614.jpg\"\/)
\nA homemade eclipse viewer can be made using cereal boxes<\/p>\n
Irish scientists were also preparing for an aerial mission during the eclipse that will gather new information about the Sun.<\/p>\n
The group, including astronomers from the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, were flown towards Iceland by the Air Corps to record images of a total solar eclipse.<\/p>\n
They were working with colleagues from the European Space Agency and Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics to capture images of eclipse.<\/p>\n
They used a specialised camera to get a clear shot of the eclipse, specifically to capture images of the corona – the inner part of the Sun’s atmosphere which is clearly visible as the disc is obscured during an eclipse.<\/p>\n