Science Week Ireland 2009 launched

• Over 400 events to take place nationwide during Ireland’s largest public awareness week

• Key highlights include science fairs in Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Galway and Cork and a free lecture series in the Science Gallery in Dublin for secondary school students which will showcase Irish innovation and career opportunities.

Science Week Ireland 2009 was officially launched today (Tuesday 3^rd November 2009). by Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation. Approximately 90,000 people are expected to attend 400 events across the country from Sunday 8^th November until Sunday 15^th November. Science Week Ireland 2009 will mark the EU Year of Creativity and Innovation.

Science Week was launched at St Pius X Boys National School, where Ms Sinead Lally’s third class students participated in an interactive forensic science workshop, facilitated by Dr Maria Morgan and staff from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Students were shown the science behind solving crimes and got the chance to lift latent fingerprints from objects, categorise fingerprint patterns, use simulated blood to determine blood-type and run tests on ransom notes to determine the pen used to write it.

St Pius X is an award winning school, having received a Discover Primary Science ‘Award of Science Excellence’ for the past three years and won the Engineers Ireland ‘Xperience Engineering’ competition earlier this year.

Speaking at the launch, Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, said, “Science Week is a fantastic initiative with events running across the country for people of all ages. If we are to create a culture of innovation in Ireland, then we need to celebrate the achievements of Irish scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists in the same way that we laud sporting heroes, musicians and literary figures. By showing the relevance of these subjects to their everyday lives with fun activities like the science of the circus and magic mathworks, we will be able to instill a sense of curiosity in young people and form the foundations of a Smart Economy.”

Peter Brabazon, Programme Director, Discover Science & Engineering, added, “Now in its twelfth year, Science Week has already proved the catalyst for thousands of schoolchildren who eventually embarked on a scientific career. Over the course of the week the public will have the opportunity to be dazzled by science magicians, amazed by robotics and wonder at the marvels of space. This pipeline of potential graduates is vital if we want to build a knowledge based society and secure long term economic benefits for Ireland.”

Some of this year’s Science Week highlights include:

• IT Sligo celebrates ten years of Science and Technology Week, kicking off with its annual fair on Sunday 8^th November;
• University of Limerick will hold Discovery Sunday Family Day on the opening day of Science Week, with interactive activities for all the family;
• 600 secondary school students will attend a lecture series during the week in the Science Gallery in Dublin featuring talks by Damini Kumar, the Irish ambassador for the EU Year of Creativity and Innovation; the Tyndall Institute; CLARITY and Sustainable Energy Ireland;
• Professor Mike Williams will hold a public lecture at IT Sligo on Wednesday 11^th November and discuss the risks posed by a Tsunami to Irish coasts;
• The Fusion Expo, a European exhibition that outlines the benefits of fusion energy, describes Europe’s fusion research facilities, introduces the ITER project, and looks ahead to the construction of a working fusion power plant. This is the first time fusion Expo has been held in Ireland and the exhibition will run from 11^th – 13^th November in DCU;
• Maureen Smyth, Director of DNA in the Irish Forensic Lab, and Brian Irwin, Forensic Science Northern Ireland, will discuss the current practices of DNA databases, successes of DNA databases in criminal investigations, proposed introduction of a National DNA Database in Ireland;
• The Discovery 2009 exhibition will take place in City Hall, Cork on Sunday 15^th November;
• The Galway Science & Technology Festival will take place on Sunday 22^nd November in the Galway Bay Hotel & Leisureland.

The aim of Science Week is to promote the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives and to demonstrate the importance of these disciplines to the future development of Irish society and the economy.

Science Week Ireland is organised by Discover Science & Engineering, the Government’s integrated programme for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) awareness and promotion. Further information on events across the country is available on www.scienceweek.ie

ENDS/IP125

For further information please contact:

Piaras Kelly, Edelman, 01 6789333, 086 8131691, Email: piaras.kelly@edelman.com

Notes for Editors