There were cries of delight when the students of Des-mond College walked into the RDS Arena to see 5 awards pinned to their project displays. Sophie Bridgeman, Fiona Barrow and Caoimhe Danaher received a ‘Display Award’ for their project entitled ‘Key Glow’. This project aims to assist the elderly in unlocking their doors at night when entering their homes.

At the other end of the arena a thrilled Cian Cremin and Seamus Hurley, inventors of the ‘Heavy Duty Hover Pad’ were ‘Highly Commended’ in their Junior Technology category. Their invention is capable of lifting significant weight that will allow for the safe and easy splitting of a tractor engine.

Also receiving a ‘Highly Commended’ and a ‘Display Award’ too, were senior students Martin Madden, Conor Barry and Peter Shanahan, whose ‘Self-Levelling Wheelbarrow’, designed with unique see-saw legs, provides extra stability on uneven ground. This project has sparked a lot of interest and offers from various people looking to buy it.

An ‘Investigation into the Life Cycle, Behaviour, Intelligence and Myths surrounding Crows’ proved to be a winner for Lisa Barrow and Orlaith Condon, who received a ‘Display Award’ for their amazing project on the Corvus Cornix or more commonly known as the Hooded Crow.

The exhibition, which is the largest of its kind in Europe attracts huge media attention and was visited by thousands of people over the three day opening. The students of Desmond College, along with their teachers and parents, were delighted to have been so successfully involved with this competition. They also acknowledge and thank the support they received from the local business community. As the students returned to Limerick by bus late on Saturday evening, plans were already afoot for next year’s projects!