Irish International Science Success
Tuesday 20 December

IJSO 2005 bronze medal winners David Whyte, Caitriona Kelly, Nicolas Croke and Patrick Kerr with Paraic James and Michael Cotter, team leaders.

Four Irish under 16 science students, Caitríona Kelly, Nicholas Croke, Patrick Kerr and David Whyte were awarded bronze medals at the 2nd International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO 2005) which was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the 4th - 13th December 2005. Forty-four countries participated.

The Irish six-member team were selected at the 2nd Irish National Junior Science Olympiad (IrJSO 2005) in DCU on Saturday 5th November 2005. The Department of Education & Science, through the State Examinations Commissions, provided the names of the top 100 students, born on or after 1st January 1990, who achieved high grades in both science & mathematics in the 2005 Junior Certification Examinations. The Centre for Talented Youth in Ireland (CTYI), based in DCU, also provided the names of fifteen additional students.

All the finalists undertook a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) based on the IJSO syllabus in Biology, Chemistry and Physics followed by a reasoning test.

The participants received a Certificate. The top three students received gold medals, the next three silver medals and the next three bronze medals. The gold and silver medal winners were given the opportunity to represent Ireland at the IJSO 2005. Throughout November they continued to do assignments. They also participated in an intensive residential training programme in DCU prior to departure carried out by the DCU Science Faculty teaching staff and postgraduate students.

Irish 2005 Junior Science Olympiad Team

• Nicholas Croke; Kinsale Community School, Kinsale, Co. Cork
• John Collison; Castletroy College, Newtown, Castletroy, Co. Limerick
• Caitríona Kelly: Drogheda Grammar School, Mornington, Drogheda. Co. Louth
• Eavan Gleeson: Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf, Dublin 3
• David Whyte: The High & Diocesan School, Zion Rd, Rathgar, Dublin 6
• Patrick Kerr: Scoil Mhuire, Clochar Na Trocaire, Baile na Lorgan, Co Mhuineachain

Runners-up

• Paul Connon: St Peter's College, Summerhill, Wexford
• Emily Dunne: St Angela's School, Ursuline Convent, Waterford
• Alison Walsh: The High & Diocesan School, Zion Rd, Rathgar, Dublin 6

The training and selection of the Irish team was carried out by Dr. Paraic James, Dr. Odilla Finlayson (Chemistry), Dr. Eilish McLoughlin (Physics) and Professor Richard O Kennedy (Biology).

Ireland was invited to participate in the first International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO 2004) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the 5th-14th December 2004. Because of its long association with the International Science Olympiads, DCU was asked by the Department of Educational & Science to organised and manage Ireland's participation in the IJSO. It was agreed that Mr. Michael A. Cotter would be the Irish IJSO delegation leader and Dr. Paraic James the pedagogical leader. The former is responsible for all aspects of the management of Ireland's participation in the IJSO and the later for the selection and training of the team.

In the 2004 IJSO two Irish students, Naomi Hodgins, King's Hospital School, Lucan Road, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 and Anna Feeney, Alexandra College, Milltown, Dublin 6 were awarded bronze IJSO medals.

Dr. Paraic James is IJSO Vice President for Europe. Both he and Michael A. Cotter are the treasurers of the IJSO executive management committee.

Further details at http://www.euso.dcu.ie/ijso