Inaugural engineer showcase aimed at children

A week-long series of events aimed at showcasing Irish engineering is to run in various locations around the State from February…

A week-long series of events aimed at showcasing Irish engineering is to run in various locations around the State from February 19th to 23rd.

The inaugural Engineered! a Week of Wonder is aimed at young people aged between seven and 17.

It is intended to display the ingenuity and diversity of Irish engineering through "engineered" events, including robot building, flight simulators, DVD and CD-making, sports workshops, power-station tours and marine-rescue missions.

Michelle Banks, manager of Engineered! A Week of Wonder, said: "We are inviting all the young people around the country, who imagine creating dream cars or spaceships, or who can hook up a home theatre DVD system in a matter of minutes, to join us during the week to discover the ingenuity, possibility and creativity that engineering is all about."

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The events start on Monday, February 19th at Cork Opera House, when 1,200 youngsters are set to take part in a regional treasure hunt.

It will lead participants on a trail around the major engineering feats in Cork city.

Dublin, Galway and Athlone will also host treasure hunts, with the winner in each region securing a family holiday to Disneyland Resort Paris, along with the opportunity to meet Disney's engineers, known as "Imagineers", who aim to make fantasies a reality.

Cork, Dublin, Galway and Athlone will also present the Wow! magic show, which is designed to demonstrate to students how exciting engineering and science can be.

The show will features experiments involving cannon fire, optical illusions, coloured flames, musical bottles, disappearing water and alka-seltzer explosions.

Other events will include aircraft launching at Dublin City University, telescope-making at Birr Castle, Co Offaly, and building robotic electronic bugs at the University of Limerick.

All events are free of charge.

For full details or to register for a free ticket, visit  www.weekofwonder.ieor e-mail  reldridge@steps.ie