Seán O’Sullivan, a 5th year student from Coláiste Chiaráin, has been announced as this year’s winner of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. Seán, aged 17, won the top prize with his project, VerifyMe: A new approach to authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era. The BTYSTE perpetual trophy was presented to Seán at the RDS in Dublin by Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD and Managing Director of BT Ireland, Shay Walsh.
Seán’s school Coláiste Chiaráin is a Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Community College. ETB Chief Executive, George O’Callaghan, congratulated Seán on his success: “I would like to commend Seán and the entire Coláiste Chiaráin school community on this outstanding achievement. It’s wonderful to see Seán’s dedication to work and commitment to innovation in such a new technology area being recognised with this prestigious award. It’s a special moment too not just for the school, his teachers, his mentor and his fellow students but also for his dad, Principal Gerard O’Sullivan. I extend my congratulations to Gerard, along with Seán’s mum Tara and his siblings Tom and Sarah. I’m sure the homecoming to the school will be a very special occasion for all.”
Pictured with Seán following the trophy presentation, Dad Gerard, mum Tara and brother Tom and sister Sarah. Picture: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography 2023
Seán is the 60th recipient to win the highly coveted trophy, and the top prize of €7,500. He will now also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) taking place later this year in the European City for Science 2024 – Katowice, Poland.
Seán’s win wasn’t the only success for Coláiste Chiaráin at the 2024 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, with the school picking up the award for Best School Republic of Ireland as well as a Gold Partner Award, 1st Senior Group Technology Category, ATU Award Technology and Highly Commended Technology.
Commenting on the school’s success in this year’s competition, proud Principal, Gerard O’Sullivan, said: “Proud on so many fronts today. In particular for the school, the teachers, Seán’s mentor teacher Edel Farrell, the 7 students who represented the school so well in the competition with their 6 projects.” He continued: “Seán deserves this success for the professional approach he took throughout his project. He put in trojan work. STEM, science and innovation is an integral part of our DNA in Coláiste Chiaráin. I couldn’t be happier for the school community that this has been recognised today at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.”
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