Science club to benefit from book swap

BOOK LOVERS are being urged to boldly go and support a fundraising event that will help young local scientists in their quest to explore the scientific world.
Parent Isobel O’Dea is hosting a book swap at the Rowan Tree this Sunday in aid of the St Flannan’s College Science Club. The book swap will begin at 2.30pm and will continue until 5.30pm.
“The science club does fantastic work with the kids in the school and they really do deserve lots of support. The club was set up in the ’90s and teacher Michael Horgan has really done a lot in promoting science and helping the students to get involved with lots of competitions. A lot of hard work goes into these projects that the kids are doing. The talent that these kids have shown is just amazing and it really should be encouraged. As a parent, I believe it’s important that we get involved in trying to support them,” she said.
She explained the idea behind the fundraiser. “With the Ennis Book Club Festival just finished, there is a real buzz about the town and I thought it would be great to give people more of an opportunity to talk about books in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, as well as helping to raise funds for the science club. For a donation of €10, people can bring along a book and leave with another and have a chat and a cuppa. We had an event like this in my home last year and it went brilliantly and we’ve decided to host it in the Rowan Tree so even more people can come along.
“Last year saw some very interesting chats, with people who just love books coming together to discuss their interests. This isn’t just a chance to swap your book but it’s a chance to exchange ideas and share your love of books. Maybe it will open people up to different types of books and genres that they might not have explored before. Where else would you find a Marian Keyes book sitting next to a crime novel? Everybody who loves books should come along, particularly former pupils of St Flannan’s and support the great work these kids are doing,” she said.
There will also be a raffle on the day. As well as giving people a chance to explore books of all kinds, the event will also offer an opportunity to showcase the fantastic work being carried out by the science club. A display of some of their projects will be set up at the Rowan Tree on the day.
Members of the science club have been invited to enter the NASA/Ames Space Settlement Design Competition in Alabama later this year and having come third in their category last year, they are hoping to once again show off their scientific skills.
Also, two teams from the school have qualified for the regional finals of the Schools Formula 1 Technology Challenge, where students are challenged to design, build and race miniature Formula 1 cars.
The junior team, Flannan’s Falcons, features first, second and third-year pupils, Mike O’Dea, Oakleigh Weekes, Jack O’Dea, Victor O’Loughlin, Hannah O’Connell and Chloe Hayes. The senior team, dubbed Slipstream, is made up of fourth-year pupils, Cian O’Shea, Lorcan O’Donoghue, Christopher Ogbonna, Mataka Flynn and Mubarak Busari.