Cork makes up 122 of BT Young Scientist exhibition finalists

A PROJECT enquiring whether poor urban design contributed to people being miserable and an entry asking if womens’ sports take second place in for spectator attention are among 122 science research projects from Cork to reach the final of the BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow in the RDS, in Dublin.

Given that 550 projects were selected for the final exhibition — out of more than 2,000 entries — the Cork contingent represents more than 20% of the total number of entries for the annual competition.

Coláiste Choilm in Ballincollig with 21 entries in the final, St Mary’s Secondary School in Macroom (11), Kinsale Community School (10), and Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire (nine) are leading the charge for the Rebel County.

There are multiple entries from Bandon Grammar School — the alma mater of the last Cork winner, Gregory Tarr in 2021 — Coláiste Treasa in Kanturk, St Mary’s in Mallow, Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin, Glanmire Community College and other Cork schools. The list of Cork school's entering includes:

• Árdscoil Uí Urmoltaigh
• Ballincollig Community School
• Bandon Grammar School
• Boherbue Comprehensive School
• Christ King Girls’ Secondary School
• Christian Brothers College
• Colaiste An Phiarsaigh, Coláiste Choilm
• Coláiste Daibhéid
• Coláiste Fionnchua 
• Colaiste Muire
• Coláiste na Toirbhirte
• Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí
• Colaiste Treasa, Davis College
• De La Salle College
• Gaelcholáiste Charraig Ui Leighin
• Gaelcholáiste Mhuire
• Glanmire Community College
• Kinsale Community School
• Loreto Secondary School
• Millstreet Community School
• Mount St Michael
• Pobalscoil na Tríonóide
• Regina Mundi College
• Sacred Heart Secondary School
• Schull Community College
• Scoil Mhuire gan Smal
• Skibbereen Community School
• St Aloysius College
• St Mary’s High School
• St Mary’s Secondary School Macroom
• St Peter’s Community School
• St. Brogan’s College

A full list of all the Cork entries can be found here.

TY student An Dinh has a project which should grab the attention of Cork city’s planners, as she investigated whether the design of a city could make its inhabitants miserable.

“Initial data proves my hypothesis that living in a city with poor urban design has a negative psychological impact on residents, with the most dominant aspect being connections where significant proportions of respondents cited emotions of stress, annoyance, and frustration associated with their commute,” she said in her video presentation.

Cathal Tangney, from Glanmire Community College, saw how his own grandmother’s cognitive abilities declined as she aged and decided to investigate whether there was anything that could be done to slow this process down.

He carried out a SAGE cognitive ability test with a number of older volunteers, and then invited them to play chess for a number of days.

He then carried out the same test to see whether there was a difference. “With this project, I’m hoping to improve my grandmother’s tomorrow’s today,” he said.

Claire Linehan, Aoife Ferguson, and Aisling Lynch of Kinsale Community School — a hotbed of previous winners of the competition — examined why women’s sport took the runner-up place in the eyes of spectators.

The sports-mad trio carried out a number of surveys to find out what people thought, both in person and online polls.

“We believe that women’s sport should receive the same support from spectators as men’s sport,” Claire said.

This year exhibition was officially launched today with an address from President Michael D Higgins, while the public will flood into the RDS this morning to view the student projects.