Science Blast 2026
On the 20th of May third, fourth and fifth classes travelled to the University of Limerick to attend the Science Blast event. We left from Fahy Hall at quarter to eight in the morning and arrived in UL at around nine. When we got there each class set up their stalls. In third class we investigated the question ‘Fuel for thought, Does breakfast affect your concentration?’. In fifth class they investigated if crouching down affects your speed of running. In one fourth class they looked at how super are humans and in the other fourth class they looked at if it is better to travel by bus or by car. Once we had set up our stalls we went to get some photos taken in a photo booth. We then had some time to explore the other stalls. At around half ten we went to see a show with Mark the Science Guy. He was putting on a show about the Fifa World Cup 2026. He conducted a few experiments like how fast can you kick a ball into a net, and he also used a canon and a drone in another experiment.
After the show was over we had some lunch and the judges came around after lunch to check out our projects. Niamh, Cillian, Diarmuid, Erin, Ruairí, Oran and Isabel from third class spoke about our project. We found out in our project that breakfast is extremely important for your brain and you perform better when you have a full breakfast rather than no breakfast. We engaged in a number of tests to explore our project’s question. Every class got a trophy on the day and we also got a feedback sheet. Overall we had a fantastic day and it was so fun getting to see all of the cool science projects!
By Diarmuid O’Malley, Ciara O’Reilly and Erin Moloney.
Science Blast 2025
On the 21st of May third, fourth and fifth classes travelled to the University of Limerick to participate in Science Blast. In each class we had to pick a topic to explore and we prepared posters and experiments to display on the day. When we arrived we were greeted by staff members telling us which way to go. We then looked for our area and found where we had to set up. In the third classes our questions were ‘Is the water quality in Ballyalla lake safe to swim in?’ and ‘Can dogs understand different languages?’ Fourth class explored the question ‘Can our brain trick us?’ and fifth classes looked at ‘How do athletes prepare for performance?’ and ‘Can human technology help our oceans?’ We set up our areas and then we got a chance to walk around and explore the other schools’ projects. Some of the projects that we thought were cool were about phobias that we have and natural disasters.
There were also games and photo booths there on the day, and we got to take photos with the Science Blast sign. RTÉ also interviewed some pupils. Tony, Elsie, Mia and Finn were interviewed from third class and they asked us questions about our science projects. A judge also came around on the day and we explained our projects to him. We also attended a science show called ‘Mark the Science Guy’ and he did so many experiments. Hannah and Adam got to go on stage and help Mark launch a rocket, it was so cool! At the end of the day the judge came back to give us our trophy and to provide us with some feedback on our projects. Overall we had a great day out and we would love to do it again next year!
By Finn O’Dwyer and Elsie McInerney.
Science Blast 2023
On Thursday 23rd of May, all of 5th class went to Mary Immaculate College to present our project ‘How to win an All- Ireland Hurling final’ for the ESB Science Blast.
Over the past few months, our class have been preparing for this project. We gathered and analysed data as we watched the last four All – Ireland finals. We displayed it all on a poster divided into six sections, Data, Our Class Predictions, Prediction Results, Other Findings and Helmet Findings. We also had quiz, a solo challenge and a reaction game on Microbits.
When we arrived at Mary Immaculate College, we were given a stand where we displayed all of our posters. We split into groups and went to see different shows including Marty Jopsin’s Dangerous Equations and Gastronauts where they made teachers eat gross things. We got to see lots of other great projects by other schools such as ‘Rollercoasters and why we don’t fall off them’ and ‘Why do things fall down and not up’. Our stand was very popular and the judges seemed to like our projects. At the end of the day we got a plague to show that we took part in the ESB Science Blast. We really enjoyed ourselves and had a great time.
Knockanean National School 