A radio telescope for Ireland

Plans are underway for the commissioning of a radio telescope on the island of Ireland at Birr Castle, possibly with a second antenna to be constructed in Northern Ireland. Due to Ireland's location at the northwest corner of Europe, these telescopes will extend the baseline coverages of both the EVN and MERLIN, increasing the imaging fidelity and resolution of these arrays. The island's relatively benign RFI environment will allow observations at bands currently encroached on elsewhere in Europe. We outline the scientific and technological case for this facility, possibilities for funding the project and plans for its future operation.