Science Week: Few people consider bugs, millipedes, cockroaches and tarantulas crawling over their bodies as cause for the frenzied screams usually reserved for pop stars and footballers. These people, of course, are not nine years old.
Nearly 70 children gathered in South Dublin County Council library in Tallaght yesterday for the "Big Bug Show", an hour of creepy-crawly entertainment hosted by scientist Lee Gibbs as part of the annual Science Week in Ireland.
Mr Gibbs, who describes his show as a mixture of hands-on science and stand-up comedy, quickly explained the anatomies and natural habitats for his collection of giant Madagascar cockroaches, southern African millipedes and tarantulas before the real fun began: several minutes of letting the children cradle the bugs in their hands in order to get a close-up view.
"You don't have to touch, taste or handle any animals if you don't want to," Mr Gibbs said as he moved through the room placing insects in the hands of willing participants. Few children heeded his warning.
Composed of three classes, mostly from St Mary's and St Dominic's in Tallaght, the children shared a mix of uncontrolled excitement and disgust as the effects of handling the giant bugs - most the size of each child's entire hand - settled on the crowd. "I'm trying to get children to feel good about these bugs," Mr Gibbs said.
The highlight of the show, however, was Barbie, a brown tarantula who allowed nearly everyone in the audience to pet her briefly. Shane, the lucky volunteer who Mr Gibbs chose to handle Barbie for the longest, said the spider felt hairy, "just like my old parrot".
Parents and teachers were thrilled with the opportunity for their children.
"It's a great outlet for them," said Ms Geraldine Barron, whose son, Oisín, attended the event. "Because there aren't really any petting zoos around for them to do this sort of thing."
That is what Mr Gibbs, who's been operating the "Big Bug Show" for six years, hopes for from the presentations. "I want to get the point across that bugs are interesting, exciting and also taste good," he joked, explaining that his show often includes a section on how to cook and eat bugs.
Lee Gibbs's "Big Bug Show" will make 15 more stops throughout Ireland during this year's Science Week.