Busy weekend for sports and science fans

Sport and science will compete for people's attention on what promises to be a chilly weekend in Dublin. Thousands will flock to Croke Park for Ireland's opening match in the Six Nations championship against Italy today.

And, for non-rugby fans, there is an unusual public art display in Dublin's docklands to mark the launch of a science exhibition. Hive is an interactive installation of projected light and sound in Grand Canal Square each night from 5-10 until next weekend.

The creators of the digital display, "Kit" Monkman and Tom Wexler, will give a talk at the Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin at 6pm tonight.

The Dublin Docklands Authority says that displays such as this transform public spaces and help people to look at them in a different way.

Ahead of the Ireland v Italy clash, taking place at 2pm, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimated that out-of-State visitors to the match would bring €30 million to €40 million to the economy, which was the equivalent of 350 full-time jobs.

According to its chief executive Gina Quinn, about €8 million of this will be spent on food and drink, with €4.5 million on entertainment.

The GAA Allianz football league also kicks off today, although the scheduled match between Meath and Cork has been cancelled because of the ongoing Cork players' strike.

Today also sees the staging of a soccer match to commemorate an Irish victim of the Manchester United Munich air disaster 50 years ago. Liam Whelan, who also played for the Republic of Ireland, will be remembered at a ceremony and memorial soccer match in Cabra, Dublin. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will lay a wreath, while former Republic of Ireland captain Paul McGrath will make a presentation. Eight Man Utd players were among the 23 people who died on February 6th, 1958 when their aircraft crashed on the runway after its third attempted take-off.

Back at the science gallery, Willie Williams, the creator of U2's stage and light designs since 1982, including the most recent Vertigo tour, will give a talk on rock concert visuals at 4.30pm.

Tickets for these talks cost €5. For people feeling the effects of the dull January weather there will also be a session on winter blues in the Science Gallery at 4pm today.

It was the dullest January for about a decade in many parts of the country, with sunshine generally below normal, according to Met Éireann. It was also the wettest January for between nine and 20 years, with a new record rainfall reached at Shannon airport of 221mm. The weather resulted in serious flooding, particularly in the south and west. However, air temperatures were higher than normal, with -6.1 degrees being the lowest temperature reached.