Hi Seanie,
Thank you for that. It's bad news of course - COSMOS is one of the premier events of the Irish Astronomy year and we all look forward to it.
However I'm completely understanding of the situation in which the MIdlands Astronomy Club Committee find themselves and knowing the individuals concerned I'm certain the decision was made with great regret and consideration of all options..
The situation we are in is that we don't know how bad the COVID-19 epidemic may become and what instructions may be forthcoming from the Irish government regarding organised gatherings, or indeed whether or not the venue itself may have cause to formulate its own policy on the matter.
We hope that it's possible for events to continue and that we don't all end up in lockdown, but we simply can't tell at this stage.
Midlands Astronomy Club Committee have my full support in their actions. I hope this will all blow over and COSMOS 2020 can happen at a later date.
A knock on is, as Seanie mentioned, that the AGM of IFAS will need to be re-organised. This is traditionally held within COSMOS as the central location and wide attendance suits most participants but this year we'll need to consider alternatives.
Clear skies all,
Paul.
