2006 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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Dublin City University
Michael A Cotter
IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad 2005-06

The IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad, an All-Ireland science competition in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Programming and Physics, is open to all second-level students from the Republic of Ireland and from Northern Ireland. All second level schools are asked to nominate their best science students to take part. In addition the Department of Education & Science through the SEC provided the names of the high achievers in both Science & Mathematics in the Junior Certification Examinations of 2003 and 2004. As a result over 500 students from every county in Ireland converged on Dublin City University on Saturday January 28th 2006 to compete in the 2006 Irish Science Olympiad. These students competed for gold, silver and bronze All-Ireland Science Olympiad medals and for places on the Irish 2006 International Biology (IBO), Chemistry (IChO), Computer Programming (IOI) and Physics (IPhO) Olympiads teams. Each student was presented with a certificate.


Stephen Dolan, Joseph Walsh, Minister Mary Hanafin TD, Clare O'Driscoll & Moyra Lawrence

The students began arriving at DCU at 9.00 am to register for each of the competitions and the three-hour tests began at 11.00 am in each of the schools. As in previous years up to 40% of the finalists came from Northern Ireland. Because of the different syllabi however an equal number of medals are awarded, north and south. The International teams were selected following additional online and residential training by the DCU science and computing staff later in the year.

Professor Richard O Kennedy (Biology), Dr. Paraic James (Chemistry), Charlie Daly (Computer Programming) and Dr. Paul van Kampen (Physics) who are each responsible for one section of the Olympiad had teams of DCU staff and postgraduate students ready to administer, supervise and correct the tests.

At 4.30 p.m. the students, many accompanied by their parents and teachers crowded into a packed Larkin Theatre for the closing ceremony. Michael A. Cotter (ISO Director) opened the proceedings by welcoming Minister Mary Hanafin TD, - Minister for Education & Science, Mr. Michael Daly - IBM Ireland Manager, Mr. Peter Brabazon - Programme Director, Discover Science & Engineering, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, DCU President and Ms. Mary Whelan - DES, North-South Cooperation Unit.

Minister Hanafin thanked the parents and teachers for their support and encouragement of these talented young Irish scientists and IBM, the Department of Education & Science and the Forf�s - Discover Science & Engineering programme for sponsoring this event. She was particularly appreciative of the tremendous effort put in by the DCU staff and postgraduate students in bringing the 2006 IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad to a successful conclusion. Mr. Michael Daly, Mr. Peter Brabazon and Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski also thanked everyone involved, highlighted the importance of science both in the school curriculum and in the wider community and expressed their delight at the large numbers of students taking part. They wished the Irish teams well as they prepared for the 2006 International Science Olympiads in July and August.


Contact: Michael A. Cotter, Director,
Irish Science Olympiad, DCU.
E-mail: [email protected]