Compiled by Tara Maher
The 61st BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), was officially opened by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins last Friday. The event, hosted at the RDS in Dublin from January 9 to 11, marks BT Ireland’s silver anniversary as custodian of this iconic competition. In one of his first official engagements during his final year in office, President Higgins addressed the 1,062 secondary school finalists presenting their innovative, STEM-focused projects. After delivering an inspiring opening speech, he and his wife, Sabina, toured the exhibition, engaging with students about their transformative ideas aimed at changing the world for the better.
Speaking at the event, President Higgins emphasized the critical role young scientists play in shaping a sustainable and equitable future “Young scientists and technologists have a great responsibility and opportunities to be conscientious and conscious as to where their work will be applied. What encourages me to hope is that I see gathered here not only brilliant young scientists, technologists, full of innovative ideas and creativity, but also enthusiastic global citizens... May your participation in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition further drive your interest and determination to continue to play a role in science, its application, and its delivery for the betterment of all across the world.”
The BTYSTE, a cornerstone of Ireland's scientific calendar, was founded in 1963 by UCD researchers Rev. Dr. Tom Burke and Dr. Tony Scott after encountering the concept of “science fairs” in New Mexico. Over six decades later, this exhibition remains a vital platform for fostering curiosity, innovation, and excellence in young Irish minds.
550 projects from 225 schools were accepted into the competition. A significant achievement for anyone involved considering that only one in four entries are selected to compete at the RDS – making it one of the fiercest second level competitions in Ireland.
Kinsale Community School
This year, Kinsale Community School is proud to have nine projects, representing 15 students, qualify for the BTYSTE in a wide range of disciplines.
Ronan Hawkins "A Comprehensive Predictive Diagnostic System for Radiology"
Charlotte Galvin "Watt Now? A More Eco-Friendly Electrical Plug"
Ellie Sheedy and Ruairi O’Daltuin "An Analytical Investigation into People’s Behaviour in Relation to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)"
Riva O’Reilly and Sadhbh Tuohy "Ultra-Processed Food and the Effect It Has on Us"
Martin Hickey and Roisin O’Riordan "SELF-ish: A Study of the Effects of Egocentrism on the Youth"
Grainne Crowley "Food is Fuel: An Investigation into the Impact That Hunger Has on Performance, Behaviour, and Productivity in School"
John Murphy, Archie O’Callaghan, and Rian O’Neill "SCAT Success or SCAT Scam"
Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin
Cian Ó Spiolláin has written a computer code that uses artificial intelligence to enhance the detection and repair of potholes. He was inspired by his experiences in his local area. Current pothole detection programmes are based on models developedin other countries and do not include accurate meteorological data for the Irish climate which greatly impacts the speed and depth of development of potholes.
Cian's solution proposes the use of synthetic images. The goal is to generate synthetic images of existing potholes using unpaired image to image translators, aiming to mimic the Irish climate in image generation style. This creates a more diverse dataset for training a pothole detector leading to more effective, cheaper and long lasting repair works.
Colaiste Muire, Crosshaven
First year student Anabella Joseph entered the Health and Wellbeing category with her individual project “An investigation on the effect of physical activity and service dog interaction on nursing home patients' health” in the junior section of the competition. Anabella was assisted by Ms. Matilda Miniuss.
Julia Llovet Sanchez entered the Biological and Ecological category with her project titled “Little worms in fish - an Investigation into fish parasites”. The 4th year student was mentored by Ms. Bridget Lehane.
Her classmate Cian Riordan, also mentored by Ms. Lehane investigated the “Hidden Dangers of Preservatives in Energy Drinks” and entered the Chemical & category in the competition.
Saoirse O’Connor Buckley, Holly Forde and Mark Middleton, all Transition Year students have also entered the Chemical and Phys category with their project “If you care breathe air”, mentored by Ms. Lehane.
St Peter’s Community school, Passage West
St Peters Community school had two successful entries into this year's BT Young Scientist competition.
Lea Vucko represented the school in the individual Intermediate Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category with her project “Electric Art: Density’s Secret. How does the density of a material affect the pathway of electrons during the formation of a Lichtenburg figure?”
Lichtenberg figures are tree-like patterns formed by electrical discharges, like lightning. They form when a high-voltage spark travels through a material, such as resin or acrylic. The purpose of the experiment was be to identify how the density of a material affects the pathway of electrons during the formation of a Lichtenberg figure.
To see the full list of projects and photographs please see the current issue of The Carrigdhoun - OUT NOW.
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