Sir, – “Ernest Walton Bridge”. Ernest Walton is Ireland’s only Nobel laureate for science, and is renowned worldwide for being the first person to split artificially the atom, ushering in the age of nuclear energy. Walton was born in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, in 1903, and began his scientific education at Trinity College Dublin. After moving to Trinity College Cambridge to further his studies, he was awarded his PhD. It was there that he and John Cockcroft built a particle accelerator that was used to split lithium atoms, verifying the previously theorised internal structure of the atom. This research led to his winning of the Nobel Prize, along with Cockcroft, in 1951.
Walton returned to Trinity College Dublin in 1934 and remained a fellow until 1974. He died in Belfast in 1995 and is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery in south Dublin.
The Institute of Physics in Ireland is currently campaigning for the new bridge in Dublin to be named after this amazing scientist, and details of the campaign can be found on the IOP Ireland website ( www.iopireland.org). – Yours, etc,
Sir, – “Proclamation Bridge” (June 4th)? Why not cut to the chase and call it the “Provocation Bridge”? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – An appropriate name might be “Bailout Bridge”, which would be a constant reminder to all who wish to be reminded that the tide comes and goes, and so will all the financial problems of today. – Yours, etc,