When was the last time you saw the Taoiseach share space on a stage with hiphop dancers? It happened on Wednesday afternoon at the official launch party for the 2015 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS.
A rock band, trapeze artist, the dancers and Mr Kenny were on hand to declare the 51st annual exhibition open, although his greeting to the students was a video clip rather than in person.
Even so it was very well received and so too was the thumpingly loud musical introduction from the band State Lights.
The band was followed by the Hustle dance group who performed hiphop as never seen before, dressed for the occasion in long white lab coats.
Trapeze artist Behind the Dark offered a strong performance, balancing and doing somersaults six metres above the stage, and the more than 1,000 enthusiastic students also enjoyed seeing superconducting levitation and magic conjured up by the Roney & Joe Science Show.
TG4’s Roisin Ni Thomain and broadcaster Aidan Power hosted the opening event and will be back on Friday when the awards are announced and distributed, including the announcement of the Young Scientist for 2015.
“It is your curiosity that brought you here today,” declared BT CEO Colm O’Neill when addressing the students.
It was this and the enthusiasm of the students that encouraged BT to undertake organising the event, he said.
The students at the RDS had already achieved winner status given the 550 projects on display were shortlisted from more than 2,000 sent in for consideration.
He announced new prizes for the event including a €1,000 scholarship for those taking first places in the various categories and a €2,000 scholarship for the Young Scientist for 2015.
“Ireland’s best asset is our young people,” the Taoiseach said during his short address. He congratulated the students on their hard work and wished them well over the next few days.
Three days of judging now gets underway with the awards and top prizes announced on Friday evening.
The exhibition opens to the public and to student visitors from Thursday morning and visitors are welcome until the end of the exhibition on Saturday afternoon.
Tickets for the event cost €6 for a student or €12 for an adult and a family pass costs €25.
Find more information about the exhibition and review the projects on display at btyoungscientist.ie
