Galway's second Science and Technology Festival, held last week, offered an ideal opportunity to bridge the city's past and future when artefacts found during a 12-year archaeological project were officially unveiled in the city's museum at the weekend.
This find, which contains 17th and 18th-century glass and tableware, as well as chamber pots and copper-wire toothbrushes, was unearthed by a group of archaeologists who have carried out some 70 official digs in the city since the late 1980s.
When their findings have been collated and analysed the results will be published under the auspices of the Galway Excavations Project, launched last year, funded by the Heritage Council and supported by NUI Galway and Galway Corporation.
The role played by science and technology in helping to bring such artefacts to life to let present generations know how our ancestors lived was vital, said historian Mr Peadar O'Dowd, who opened the exhibition.
Much of what was discovered was literally rubbish, which had been discarded alongside the ancient city walls, he acknowledged. But he stressed that from such rubbish today's generation could learn a lot about ancient life.
Dating the items and discovering their original uses is part of the work of the project. Among those involved are experts in medieval pottery and glassware and one person whose area of expertise is historical alcohol analysis.
Given the kind of glasses on display, said Mr O'Dowd, it was obvious that Galway merchants, well known for their trading with Spain, drank plenty of wine.
Earlier, he had led a group of science festival participants and locals on a historical tour of Galway city, pointing out that technology had been used locally since about 6000 BC when people first settled beside the River Corrib to hunt and fish, carving primitive stone axes to do so. They applied their scientific knowledge to place nets across the Corrib and trap eels.
Much later, during the industrial revolution, Galway's waterways were harnessed to provide the city with industry and technology which saw its population grow from 5,000 in 1785 to 40,000 in 1820, he added.
That 19th century use of technology helped to create seven industrial estates in the city making products including whiskey, beer and jute.
But lack of technical expertise also had its effect on Galway's development. The city's surviving medieval streets, which make it unique, resulted from there being no developers to modernise them, as happened in cities such as Limerick, Mr O'Dowd stated. That's not a problem today, however. The city's current expansion has seen it grow outward but has also "invaded a lot in the old medieval heart".
The excavations carried out, however, allowed us to know how our ancestors lived and these are currently on show to the public.
While this guided walk of scientific Galway was among the most popular events of the festival, not everything was so well attended. The many interactive displays and exhibits were full to capacity, with some 10,000 young people being transported to participating venues from Galway and neighbouring counties. However, many of the evening lectures attracted very small audiences.
There is still a lot of work to be done to make science more popular among primary and second-level students, according to one participant, a science teacher, who says that unless more young people are attracted to these subjects Ireland will be importing scientists within the next 10 years.