A 13-year-old Kerry student has become the youngest ever to be named Young Scientist of the Year for her project entitled "Research and Development of Emergency Sandbag Shelters".
Emer Jones, a second year student from Presentation School, Tralee, Co Kerry, was this evening presented with a cheque for €5,000 by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin.
Emer was entered in the junior section of the Technology category and was the first ever winner from Kerry.
According to the judges Emer's project "examined the use of native materials to enhance the stability of emergency sandbag shelters used in disaster relief.
"Based on the award-winning sandbag shelter developed by Nader Khalili of the Cal-Earth Institute, Emer examined what materials could help the shelters stand up to earthquakes and high-winds.
"Emer was able to demonstrate that using wood or bamboo sticks between the layers instead of the normal barbed wire method could deliver the same stability at much reduced cost. This also made deployment of shelters much faster as these materials are more readily available."
The individual runner-up was Henry Glass from Clongowes Wood College, Naas, Co Kildare for "The Detection and Locating of Food by the Slug, Limax pseudoflavus", which was entered in the Intermediate section of the Biological & Ecological category. He was awarded €1,200 and a BT Perpetual Trophy.
The Best Group award went to cousins Edel and Fiona Ryan from Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Co Galway, for their Social and Behavioural category project in the intermediate section entitled "Living to Teach or Teaching to Live?." Both girls received a prize of €2,400 and a BT Perpetual Trophy.
Runners-up in the group category were Ellie Townsend, Lisa O'Sullivan and Ciara McCarthy from Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Co Cork.
They were awarded 1,200 and a BT Perpetual trophy for their project entitled "Let Rip the Physics of Perforations" entered in the Senior Section of the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical category. The girls also won the Intel Travel Award and the Institute of Physics Special Award.
Chris Clark, chief executive of main sponsor, BT Ireland, said: "Forty-four years on and the exhibition goes from strength to strength. As the organiser, we invest in this event as it encourages students and schools through the 32 counties to have a passion for science and technology.
"This year's winner is a brilliant example of the creativity and ingenuity we set out to find each year through organising this showcase."
In total 1,128 students competed this week in 500 projects from 31 counties across Ireland.