The School of Chemical Sciences (SCS) have been involved with the selection and training of chemistry students (second level) from across Ireland for the past 20 years in order to represent Ireland annually at The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
This Year (July 2021) ‘Team Ireland’ achieved its best success to date at the IChO, when all four competing students received awards which surpasses all previous achievements by Ireland at this International Chemistry Competition.
There were over 300 student participants from 85 countries worldwide, competing in this 53 rd IChO, hosted by Japan (online remote supervised).
Two of the ‘Team Ireland’ students were awarded silver medals, placing them in the top 20% of chemistry students at this international event. A very worthy Bronze medal and Honourable mention was achieved by the other two students representing Ireland.
- Oisín Ó Feinneadha, St Peter’s College Secondary School, Wexford (silver)
- Tong Wu, Clongowes, Wood College, Clane, Kildare ( silver)
- Oscar Despard, Sandford Park School, Dublin (bronze)
- Aoife Morris, St Aloysius’ College, Cork- Honourable Mention.
Over 210 students from across Ireland participated in Round 1 of the ‘Ireland Chemistry Olympiad’ competition from which the team of 4 students were selected with subsequent training and tutoring. With thanks to staff in the SCS for their on- going support for national and International participation at the Chemistry Olympiads which encourages and harnesses the talent of chemistry students all across Ireland; particular thanks to 2021 DCU SCS tutors/organisers, Dr Pat O’ Malley (SCS, CASTel), Dr. Nessan Kerrigan (SCS), Dr. Hasim Ibrahim (SCS) and Dr Odilla Finlayson (SCS retiree, Castel).
The Chemistry Olympiad ‘Team Ireland’ has greater national input in recent years with four other higher education institutes also contributing valuable input; acknowledgement and thanks to tutoring academic colleagues from TUS , GMIT, TCD and UCC . Continued support and funding gratefully acknowledged from the International Cooperation Section of the Department of Education.
