Huge credit must go to the RCS Science department under the lead of Ms. Alanna Roche for the success of our 2 outstanding TY groups this week at the regional finals of SCIFEST held in SETU, Carlow.
Out of 84 projects competing at the regional final, our TY students were awarded both the Overall Best Project and Runner-Up Project awards. This is a testament to their hard work, creativity, and dedication to scientific inquiry under the leadership of their teacher. We are incredibly proud of all involved and look forward to seeing what the future holds for these talented young scientists!
The overall winner award went to the "Running road run off off the road" project by Jonah, Noah and Aidan who investigated the impact of road runoff on soil quality and plant health. Their research found that pollution levels increase with road usage due to contaminants such as heavy metals, oils and salts. They explored phytoremediation using native plants and found that species such as sorrel can help absorb pollutants and improve soil conditions, providing a natural and biodiversity-friendly solution. This project also received a research award at the Stripe Young Scientist competition.
Our second place award winners went to "When the wind blows, where the plastic go?" which was a project by Muireann, Jude and Holly who examined the impact of storm events on coastal pollution. Their findings highlighted a significant increase in shoreline litter following storms, with fishing-related materials a major contributor. Building on this, they developed an innovative biodegradable fishing rope made from recycled cotton T-shirts to help reduce long-term marine pollution.
Both groups presented their work at the Young Environmentalist Awards semi-final in Cork and also participated in the Stripe Young Scientist competition. They were commended in the AIB Future Sparks competition also. These student achievements reflect a strong commitment to sustainability, scientific inquiry and student innovation in RCS.