President's visit takes in primary schools' fair

The President, Mrs McAleese, visited the Young Scientist exhibition yesterday, praising the hard work and dedication shown by student researchers as well as the teachers and parents who supported them.

She attended a number of stands during her afternoon visit, chatting with the students and asking questions about their work. Afterwards she met a number of the judges and the exhibition's founders, Rev Dr Tom Burke and Dr Tony Scott.

The President's walkabout included visits to exhibits from Lough Allen College in Drumkeerin, Coláiste An Phiarsaigh in Cork, Dominican College in Belfast, Our Lady's Bower in Athlone and Newtown School in Waterford.

She also visited one of the Primary Science Fair stands, that of Gaelscoil Ó Doghairin Limerick. The students explained their project on attitudes towards Ireland's ancient heroes - including Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Cúchulainn and Oisín - with teacher Mr Daithí Ó Murchú on hand to help.

The Primary Science Fair has become an important part of the overall Young Scientist exhibition. It includes research work and experiments completed by primary school scientists who compete for the right to attend the event.

There are 28 schools represented at this year's exhibition, with a particularly large contingent from Scoil San Carlo in Leixlip.

One stand, entitled "Electro-techs", included a selection of handmade electrical circuits and a working motor-driven crane. Fifth-class pupils Cian O'Dea, Conor Vergin, Ciarán Shiels and Niall O'Grady put the circuits together.

"We learned about what electricity is and how a circuit works," explained Ciarán Shiels (11). "We all had ideas and asked each other whether we were able to make them," added Niall O'Grady (11).

The group also built a "buzz game", offering a sweet to anyone who could beat it. (This reporter failed miserably.) Their teacher, Ms Maireád Murphy, said there was great enthusiasm for science at the school. Once the students had a project they just went off and put it together.

Sixth-class pupils from Gaelscoil Bhríde in Thurles were also at the fair with a stand dedicated to water and the water cycle. Eoin Commins explained how the class had broken into groups to do smaller projects. They then decided that the water project was best of all and they developed it for the fair.

Oisín Ryan demonstrated a working water-driven electricity generator built by the pupils as part of the display. Connected to a tank sprayer, it produced enough electricity to light a torch bulb. His classmate Catherine O'Regan explained the water cycle and the movement of water from the sea to the land and back again.

Teacher Ms Labhaoise Chuinnegáin said this was the school's first attempt to win a place at the exhibition and she was pleased they had done so well.

Formal judging in the competition concludes this afternoon with the top four prizes in this, the 40th Young Scientist exhibition, to be announced by the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, around 7 p.m. The top prize includes a trophy and a cheque for €3,000.

The exhibition is open to the public today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Admission costs €8 for adults, €4 for students under 18 and senior citizens, with family tickets admitting four costing €20.