2009 Press Releases
07.04.2009
Secondary school students representing the four Provinces of Ireland participated in the final of the Debating Science Issues (DSI) competition on April 2nd, at the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin. After several closely fought debates by four teams representing Connaught, Ulster, Leinster and Munster, St. Mary’s Secondary School from Macroom, Co Cork, emerged as the All-Ireland winners.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the competition is coordinated by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) CSET, The Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway in conjunction with science research, and discovery centres throughout Ireland. The All-Ireland final involved students debating the motion that ‘Opposing evidence-based theories such as evolution damages all science’.
The competition is unique in that it involves a number of research centres and secondary schools from both the Republic and Northern Ireland -REMEDI, NUI Galway; Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and TYNDALL Institute, UCC, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute, DCU; Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin and W5 in Belfast.
Judges on the day included: Lorcan O’Raghallaigh, Discover Science & Engineering; Dr John Denari, IRCSET; Bridget Kelly, CLARITY, UCD; Tom Ziessen, Public Engagement advisor of the Wellcome Trust; Dr Annie Curtis, Science Foundation Ireland; Greg Smith, National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Emily de Grae, Irish Council for Bioethics; Dr Jennifer Ralph, SFI, and Dr Charlotte Holland, Dublin City University.
Photo L - R: Professor Frank Barry, Scientific Director of REMEDI, Maria Buckley, winning team captain, Shonagh Lynch, team-mate from winning school St Mary's Secondary School, Macroom, and Tom Ziessen, Public Engagement Advisor at the Wellcome Trust.