THREE creative students from Killorglin Community College have scooped prestigious awards at this year’s Sentinus Big Bang Science Fair at the Ulster University in Jordanstown.
Second year students Padhraic McMahon and Hugh Hurley designed and developed their Farm Sense business project when they heard about the tragic death of a young girl in a farm accident.
The budding entrepreneurs designed a smartphone app to help educate young people about farm safety and they spent lunchtimes, after school and their holidays learning how to write the code to build the application.
Their project scooped the Junior Engineers category prize at the Sentinus Big Bang Science Fair.
A variety of skills were needed to win the award, including computer code techniques, analysis of various data, research and development and the production of a 4,500-word business plan.
Overall they spent over 80 hours on their app which is now available in the Google store as a free download.
To make it an even more memorable event for Killorglin Community College, another student, Timothy McGrath, won the overall University of Ulster ICT Award.
Proud Killorglin Community College principal, Donal O’Reilly, said: “This is a major achievement for Killorglin and Kerry.”
He added: “It’s fantastic to see all their hard work and dedication being recognised at such a prestigious science fair. “
Sentinus Young Innovators, incorporating the Big Bang Northern Ireland, is one of the largest events of its kind.
The event aims to promote interest and engagement in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects for all age groups.
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