Minister Lenihan announces Junior Inventor Competition winners
Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan TD, presented the prizes to the winners of the Junior Inventor Competition 2010 in the Workhouse Square area of McDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, Kilkenny today. [Monday]
Today is World Intellectual Property Day and the Patents Office run the Junior Inventor competition annually to mark the Day.
The Junior Inventor competition is aimed at Primary School students with a view to encouraging the children to be innovative and creative in finding solutions to everyday problems.
Minister Lenihan announced 6th Class student Kevin Sorohan of Fermoyle National School, Lansborough, Co. Longford as the overall Junior Inventor Winner 2010.
Kevin’s winning invention is a seatbelt clasp light which is situated in the push button of a seatbelt and will illuminate when the car lights are switched on to make it easier for the passengers to locate seat belt plugs in the dark.
Congratulating all entrants and winners ‘on their hard work on these fantastic projects’, Minister Lenihan said ‘If Irish people are going to make important discoveries and inventions in the future, we are going to need more children to study science and maths. We must try and ensure that all our junior students continue their studies in science and maths at secondary school level.
‘The quality of today’s competition entries shows that our juniors have great imagination and can look at problems and invent solutions.
‘I would encourage all of you to keep entering competitions such as the Junior Inventor, whether you win or not. If you don’t win the award you hoped for, get advice from someone and try again next year. You never know what could happen! ‘
This is the third year of the competition and the interest has grown each year, to the extent that there were over 2000 entries from 140 schools from 26 counties this year. The feedback from teachers who have entered children in the competition has been very positive and the Office hopes to build on this success again next year.
Many of the entries will be displayed in McDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, Kilkenny starting on Monday 26th April and for the following two weeks.
Please see the Patents Office website www.patentsoffice.ie for more information on the Junior Inventor competition.
ENDS/IP146
Notes to Editors:
Winners of Junior Inventor Competition 2010 – All Categories:
Overall Junior Inventor Winner
Kevin Sorohan 6th class
Fermoyle National School
Lanesboro
Co. Longford
Seatbelt Clasp Light
A light which is situated in the push button of a seatbelt and will illuminate when the car lights are switched on to make it easier for the passengers to locate seat belt plugs in the dark.
National 1st to 3rd Class winners
3rd place
Enda Brien
Kiltormer National School
Ballinsloe
Co. Galway
Portable DVD player
This is a portable DVD player for use by people with disabilities. The control switches will be on a small table and simply be a loading/on & off switch and a wheel to turn to control the volume. It would be a permanent feature in vehicles designed with mobility impaired persons in mind.
2nd place
Evan Rossiter – 3rd class
St Columcille’s Senior National School
Knocklyon
Dublin
The Two-in-one Shoe
A shoe which has a spring loaded mechanism operated in the sole to allow for changing the shoe from e.g. a runner to a hurling boot. The runner can be designed depending on which sports children play.
1st place
Katie Walker – 2nd class
Scoil Mochua
Celbridge
Co. Kildare
The Swim Watch
The swim watch is a watch that can be worn in the pool which has an attachment that goes onto a finger. At the end of each length you touch the edge of the pool to record the length. This assists swimmers in keeping accurate count of lengths swam. It will also record time taken to swim each length.
National 4th to 6th Class Winners
3rd place
Josh Kelly – 6th class
St Mary’s Boys National School
Monaghan
Step and Go
A pressurised children’s stair gate which works on the same principal as a pedal bin it will automatically open when pressure is applied to the step.
2nd place
Morgan Hole – 4th class
Scoil Bhride
Mountnugent
Co. Cavan
Gas Cylinder Cozy
A light weight insulated secure compartment for bottled gas to stop it freezing during cold weather. It will have a hinged top to contain the regulator and a flexible insulated access pipe cover to the house wall.
1st place
Ronan O’Connell - 4th class
Scoil Mhainchin
Enistymon
Co. Clare
Safety Sensor for Cooker
For use on an electric cooker. A sensor that will be built into electric cooker rings and will sense that if a ring is on but there has been no saucepan on the ring for 50 seconds it will automatically switch off.
Best Kilkenny Entries
1st to 3rd class
Cathal Ryan – 3rd class
St. Leonards NS
Dunamaggain
Co. Kilkenny
The Bird Flap
A system of hinged flaps that will be hung under the eve of houses to prevent birds from nesting. It will have a limited range of movement to prevent it from hitting the house or gutters.
4th to 6th class
Roisin Coady
St Brigids NS
Coon via Carlow
Co. Kilkenny
Roller Cover
A remote controlled electric silage pit cover. It would significantly reduce the use of plastic which cannot be re-cycled and as pits are usually quite high it would be an added safety feature.
ENDS
Last modified: 26/04/2010
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