I thought I’d share this image of Maynooth University Library Cat, complete with daisy bonnet. He doesn’t look entirely gruntled with his new headgear, and I’m not sure how long it stayed on his bonce, but it’s nice to see him in fine fettle, though he’s getting a few more grey hairs. Aren’t we all?
For those of you who can’t get enough Maynooth University Library Cat action, I thought I’d share this instagram post that features a short documentary film made by some students about said feline:
The video is also available on Youtube:
Incidentally, Fiona Morley (who you see interviewed in the video) is Head of Digital Programmes and Information Systems at Maynooth University and, with her team, has given huge support to the Open Journal of Astrophysics.
This reminds me that today is the last day of teaching at Maynooth. There will be a short break until examinations begin a week today. This means that, although my sabbatical continues until the end of August, I won’t be missing any more lectures from today. I won’t be marking examinations either, but it is a reminder that it’s not that long until I have to resume such duties.
Yesterday, Storm Debi passed over Ireland. There was a red weather alert in Maynooth but, as far as I know, no damage apart from a few broken branches and fallen leaves. It was far worse elsewhere in Ireland. Meanwhile, here in Barcelona, it’s sunny and 25° C..
A few people have asked me about Maynooth University Library Cat (or Séamus as some people call him). I paid said feline a visit just yesterday, actually, but I could see he was busy, so I didn’t disturb him.
Yesterday morning final-year students theoretical physics students sat my first examination of the session, on Advanced Electromagnetism, and tomorrow another group will take my second, on Computational Physics 1. I collected the first scripts from the Exam Hall at the end of the examination at 11.30 and have actually finished correcting them. I don’t think I’ll come in tomorrow morning though. Correcting the second batch can wait until Monday. That doesn’t mean I get a break though because I still have to complete grading the Computational Physics Projects. It does mean, however, that I’ll probably be finished with examination marking for this session by the end of next week, in good time for the Exam Boards in June.
That won’t mean that I’m finished with examination matters for the year; I’ll have four repeat examinations to grade in August. When those are done, however, I won’t have to do any further marking of examinations or anything else to do with teaching for a whole year. My sabbatical starts on 1st September.
Meanwhile, Maynooth University Library Cat, has been patrolling the area in front of the Library, which is quite busy these days with students doing last-minute revision in the study spaces there. By the end of next week the examinations will be over, most students will have departed for the summer, many staff will be at home marking scripts, and campus will be much quieter.
So, teaching is over at Maynooth University and the Examination Period starts today. I just checked the timetable and found that the first theoretical physics paper is not until tomorrow. Yes, we have examinations on Saturdays here! Campus is notably quieter than usual, with the only undergraduate students about being those either going to or coming from an Exam Hall. Meanwhile, Maynooth University Library Cat is strategically positioned on his wall for petting and feeding purposes, although the excitement of it all seems to have got to him and he’s fast been asleep every time I have seen him during the past week, e.g.
It’s a hard life being a cat.
It’s the Friday of the penultimate week of teaching term at Maynooth University, and it’s also a long weekend with the May Bank Holiday on Monday. I thought I would just give an update on our resident feline before I go to a seminar and then head into Dublin for a concert. I passed by Maynooth University Library Cat yesterday on my way back to the Department after lunch, and although he seemed well he wasn’t very sociable. I think he generally gets a bit sleepy after lunch. At any rate he seemed reluctant to open his eyes!
A few people have asked me whether Maynooth University Library Cat is OK, specifically whether he has recovered from the recent events that led to the temporary unavailability of his regular home. I chatted to one of the security guards on Monday when he was tending to the Cat’s box and he said that our feline friend had disappeared for a couple of days over the St Patrick’s holiday weekend but eventually returned home in the early hours on Sunday. I think that’s probably true of quite a number of humans around here too.
Anyway, it being a springlike morning, I found His Nibs on post so I took a couple of snaps of him looking rather statuesque. I couldn’t persuade him to open his eyes for the pics, probably because he was facing the sunlight, but he did so as soon as I put the camera away. He seems in rude health and no doubt enjoying the return of the students after the Study Break. He is also, as you can see, well stocked with supplies…
I’m afraid that there has been an incident on Maynooth University Campus, as I discovered on Twitter:
It seems that somebody or something trashed Maynooth University Library Cat’s little box, which ended up beside the stream that runs under the bridge next to the library. The poor cat was wet and hungry because it was raining most of yesterday, but I am reliably informed that he is now OK, the box is back in place and fitted out with new blankets:
I think I’ll go over later to check everything is in order.
If there’s CCTV nearby we might be able to find out exactly what happened.
It has been very cold in Maynooth for the last couple of days and the forecast is for sioc, oighear, sneachta agus flichshneachta. In inclement conditions I tend to worry about our resident feline, but have been reassured by various social media posts showing him fit and well:
Better still, this afternoon on my way back to the office from lunch I spotted him, oriented North-South on the wall next to the library. Judging by the empty feeding bowls behind him seems likely he was having a post-prandial snooze so I didn’t disturb him, though I was jealous that I don’t get to take a nap after lunch…
In the Dark 