IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad & Irish EU Science Olympiad (IrEUSO)
Monday 13 February 2006

Stephen Dolan, Coláiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon, Donegal (Computer Programming) Moyra Lawrence, Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co Dublin (Biology), DCU President, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Minister Mary Hanafin TD, Joseph Walsh, St Columb's College, Buncranna Road, Derry (Chemistry), Clare O' Driscoll; Mercy Heights Secondary School, Skibbereen, Co Cork (Physics)

750 students from every county in Ireland gathered at Dublin City University on Saturday January 28th 2006 to compete in the 2006 IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad and the Irish EU Science Olympiad.

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. The schools are asked to nominate their best science students to take part. These students compete 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.

The Irish European Union Science Olympiad (IrEUSO) is a competition for science students from the Republic of Ireland who are 16 years of age or younger on the December 31st prior to the competition. The Department of Education & Science provided the names and school addresses of the students who achieved the highest marks in both Science & Mathematics in the Junior Certification Examinations in 2004 and 2005 and who were born on or after 1st January 1989. This competition is therefore by invitation only. Two teams of three students represent Ireland at the annual European Union Science Olympiad (EUSO) in April.

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 between 30% - 40% of the senior finalists came from Northern Ireland. Because of the different syllabi however an equal number of medals are awarded, north and south. The International teams will be selected following additional online and residential training by the DCU science and computing staff later in the year. The IrEUSO teams will receive additional training prior to departure for Brussels.

Professor Richard O Kennedy (Biology) Dr. Paraic James (Chemistry), Charlie Daly (Computer Programming), Dr. Paul van Kampen (Physics) and Dr. Odilla Finlayson (IrEUSO) 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 4.15 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, Ms. Mary Whelan - DES and Ms. Deirdre Kennedy - IBM. He 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 Forfás - Discover Science & Engineering programme for sponsoring this event. He 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 and Irish EU Science Olympiad to a successful conclusion. These included;

• Dr. Paraic James
• Irish Chemistry Olympiad Scientific Committee Chairman
• Irish International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) Team Leader
• Elected member of the IChO steering committee
• Irish Junior Science Olympiad Team Pedagogical Leader
• Vice-President for Europe of the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO)

Dr. Wesley Browne is the IChO deputy team leader

• Professor Richard O Kennedy
• Irish Biology Olympiad Scientific Committee Chairman
• Irish International Biology Olympiad (IBO) Team Leader
• Member of the IBO Scientific Jury

Ms. Susan Townsend (Ph.D. student) is the IBO deputy team leader

• Dr. Paul van Kampen
• Irish Physics Olympiad Scientific Committee Chairman
• Irish International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) Team Leader
• Member of the IPhO Scientific Jury

Mr. David Rea (Physics Teacher, Cork) is the IPhO deputy team leader

• Charlie Daly
• Joint founder of the All Ireland Schools Programming Competition (1994)
• Irish Computer Programming Olympiad Scientific Committee Chairman
• Irish International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) Team Leader
• Member of the IOI Scientific Jury

Ciarán O Conaire (Ph.D. student) is the IOI deputy team leader

• Dr. Odilla Finlayson
• Irish EUSO Scientific Committee Chairperson
• Irish EUSO Delegation Leader
• Member of the EUSO Scientific Jury

Dr. Eilish McLoughlin (Physics) and Dr. Christine Loscher (Biology) are the IrEUSO team leaders.

Minister Mary Hanafin, Mr. Michael Daly, Mr. Peter Brabazon and Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski thanked everyone involved, highlighted the importance of science both in the school curriculum and in the wider community and expressed their delight at the numbers of students taking part.

Medal & Awards
IBM/DCU Irish Science Olympiad
Oilimpiad Eolaíochta na hÉireann

Subject: Biology
Chairman: Professor Richard O Kennedy

• Medal - Student Name - School
• Trophy - Moyra Lawrence - Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan. Co. Dublin
• Gold - Michael McGarvey - St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
• Silver - Joe Kelly - Lumen Christi, Bishop Street, Derry
• Silver - Charlene Tennyson - St. Michael's Grammar School, Lurgan, Craigavon, Co. Armagh
• Sliver - Eileen Gahan - Gory Community School, Wexford
• Silver - Mattew Corrigan - Mount Temple, Clontarf, Dublin 3
• Bronze - Brian Murphy - Down High School, Belfast
• Bronze - Alice Brennan - St. Gerard's School, Bray, Co. Wicklow
• Bronze - James O’ Connor - St. Michael's, Ailesbury Rd. Dublin
• Bronze - Elaine Creech - St. Angela's College, St. Patrick's Hill, Cork

Subject: Chemistry
Chairman: Dr. Paraic James

• Medal - Student Name - School
• Trophy - Joseph Walsh - St. Columb's College, Buncrana Road, Derry
• Gold - Miray Morcos - Dominican College, Taylor's Hill, Galway
• Silver - Aoife Fogarty - Coláiste Raithin, Bray, Co.Wicklow
• Silver - Louis Conway - Methodist College, Belfast, Co. Antrim
• Silver - Sheila McSweeney - Scoil Mhuire, Wellington Rd., Cork
• Silver - Martin Houston - St. Columb's College, Buncrana Road, Derry
• Bronze - Martina Feyzrakhmanova - Castleknock Community College, Castleknock, Dublin 15
• Bronze - Julia Sun - Methodist College, Belfast, Co. Antrim
• Bronze - Conor Broderick - St. Michael's College, Ailesbury Rd., Dublin 4
• Bronze - Olivia Devlin - St. Louis Grammar School, Cullybackey Road, Ballymena, Co. Antrim

Computer Programming
Chairman: Charlie Daly

• Medal - Student Name - School
• Trophy - Stephen Dolan Coláiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
• Gold - Barry Hurley - Gaelcholáiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
• Silver - Cian Hughes - Gonzaga College, Sanford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin
• Silver - Michael Clear - Mountmellick Community School, Co Laois
• Bronze - Joshua Tobin - Saint Aidan's CBS,Whitehall, Dublin
• Bronze - Patrick Dunne - Gaelcholáiste Mhuire, An Mhainistir Thuaidh, Monastery Rd., Cork City

• Gold - Yann Sweeney - St. Columba's Comprehensive, Glenties, Co.Donegal.
• Silver - Kate O’Mahony - St. Aloysius' School, St. Marie's of the Isle, Sharman, Crawford Street, Cork City.
• Bronze - John Tabirca - St. Peter Community School, Passage West, Co. Cork.

Subject: PHYSICS
Chairman: Dr. Paul van Kampen

• Medal - Student Name - School
• Trophy - Clare O'Driscoll - Mercy Heights, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
• Gold - Stephen Stewart - Foyle and Londonderry College, Derry
• Silver - Karl Irwin - Methodist College, Belfast
• Silver - Andrew Porter - Cookstown High School, Tyrone
• Silver - Sinead Ní Riada - Castleknock College, Dublin
• Silver - Aman Yadav - St. Colman's College, Fermoy, Co. Cork
• Bronze - Joseph Henry - Portadown College, Craigavon, Armagh
• Bronze - Mark McIlveen - St. Columb's College, Buncranna Road, Derry
• Bronze - Niamh O'Brien - Loreto High School, Beaufort, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14
• Bronze - Margaret Donnelly - Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin

Irish European Union Science Olympiad (IrEUSO) Oilimpiad Eolaíochta Aontas Eorpach na hÉireann Chairperson: Dr. Odilla Finlayson

The gold and silver medal winners will form the Irish EUSO 2006 teams.

• Student - name - School

Biology

• Gold - Thomas McGrath-Daly - Community School, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
• Silver - Caoimhe Delaney - Comprehensive School, Causeway, Co. Kerry
• Bronze - Aoife Bruen - St Nathy's College, Bealach A Dorrin,Co Roscommon
• Bronze - Carmel Moore - Ashbourne Community School, Co. Meath

Chemistry

Physics

Irish Junior Science Olympiad (IrJSO) 2006

The 2006 Irish Junior Science Olympiad (IrJSO) will be held in DCU in November following the publication of the Junior Certificate results. This is an individual competition for science students from the Republic of Ireland who are under sixteen years of age on December 31st of the year of the competition. A team of six students will represent Ireland at the annual International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) in December.