A YEAR-LONG celebration of science through art and culture has been launched in Dublin this morning by Minister Richard Bruton and Dara O’Briain.

Dublin has been designated the City of Science for 2012, which carries a programme of over 160 science-related events throughout the year.

The functions being planned include the St Patrick’s festival and parade, photography exhibitions, a fashion show, street performances, and science buskers. A number of events will also take place outside the city in Galway, Waterford, Cork and Sligo, according to the organisers.

Dublin will also host the Euroscience Open Forum - Europe’s largest science conference – in July. The forum is held every two years in a different city, and over 5,000 people are expected to visit Ireland for the event.

At this morning’s launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague said the city had a “great scientific history” and the City of Science designation is “about celebrating our yesterdays, today, tomorrow and beyond”.

Minister Bruton said: “Dublin City of Science is a great opportunity for Ireland to show the world that we truly are a centre of scientific excellence.”

In the following video, the chief scientific advisor Prof Patrick Cunningham tells Enda Kenny that Dublin was chosen as the City of Science 2012 after six months was spent preparing the Irish bid:

(Video via MerrionStreetNews)