The ISTA is delighted to announce the winners of our Science Photo Competition 2024, along with those who were highly commended. There were hundreds of entries and the judges had a difficult time separating our winners. Congratulations to Ellie Finnerty from Coláiste Éinde in Galway who is the overall winner and takes home a new iPad (her teacher will receive a visualiser). The senior winner is Poppy Mullally from St. David’s in Greystones and the junior winner is Noelani Teevan from Royal School Cavan. Many thanks to everyone who took part and to their teachers. Thanks also to Aodhagan O’Suilleabhain and his team of judges for organising and coordinating this excellent competition.
Life in Earth’s greatest frontiers has always fascinated humans. Marine research was born in the 18th century but grew exponentially in the 40s when mankind’s innovations resulted in the vast but also limited knowledge of the deep, we have today. However, with the advance of human life the ocean and its inhabitants have begun to pay the price. This image is in relation to the theme Science in Focus as the focus of this image conveys the strange and beautiful life of the aquatic world that has given us food, oxygen, and medicine and it is time we take responsibility to protect such a precious environment.
Senior Winner: Poppy Mullally (5th Year), St David’s Holy Faith, Greystones (Teacher: Gary Lynch)
This photograph communicates this year’s theme “Science in Focus” as it shows the level of diversity in mushroom species in the Glen of the Downs forest. These were mushrooms found on one walk and represent a small portion of the 5,500 known species of fungi in Ireland. Each mushroom is part of a vast system of different fungi that live underground or within other organisms. Fungi play a vital role in ecosystems as they can break down old leaves and wood and can help trees and plants to grow. Without fungi, this woodland would not have a healthy ecosystem.
Senior 2nd Place: Martyna Bereźnicka (TY), St. Joseph’s Secondary School Castlebar (Teacher: Fionnuala Lynch)
This photograph captures the relationship between liquids of higher and lower density. The photograph focuses on principles such as immiscibility, light behaviour in liquids and reveals the delicate boundary between physics and chemistry. The curved surface of the glass bends the water, altering the path of light and amplifying the intricate refraction within each droplet. Behind the glass of water, a backdrop of vivid colours can be seen, this highlights the microscopic phenomena that shape our macroscopic world. The image perfectly corresponds with this year’s theme, Science in Focus, by showing the beauty of scientific principles through everyday items.
This image was taken during the November morning frost. The reason for my selection of this photo is that this image captures a frosted plant against a wintry background portraying the beauty of nature under extreme conditions. The intricate ice crystals on the leaves illustrate the physical process of water vapour deposition directly on the surface. The delicate strands of a spider web demonstrate nature’s adaptability and resilience. This image magnified through the lens of science reveals the interaction between biology, chemistry and physics making this image a vivid representation of this year’s theme “science in focus”
The following entries were given ‘Highly Commended‘ by the judges.
Isha Athmaja Praveen Kumar, Loreto Wexford
Isabelle Colbert, Archbishop McHale College team
Ryan Cannon, St Muredach’s College Ballina
Srinidhi Rapaka, Loreto Letterkenny Secondary School
Junior Winner: Noelani Teevan (1st Year), Royal School Cavan (Teacher: Rachael Wheatley)
Scientific discovery has shown that when light strikes the surface of a water drop, it changes speed, causing it to bend. It is refracted as it enters the droplet & refracts again as it leaves the droplet. The outcome is light being reflected in varying angles, in the form of a multicoloured arc, which we call a rainbow. A double rainbow occurs when the light is reflected twice in the drop. A second arc is seen outside the primary arc with the order of colours reversed as is shown here in my photo taken at my home in Drummany, Cavan.
Junior 2nd Place: Sam Dennehy (1st Year), Presentation Brothers College Cork (Teachers: Allen Donnelly & Lynda Meiklejohn)
Science has transformed the way I see the world by sharpening my perception of things I once overlooked. For example, through the lens of a microscope, what seemed like simple shapes—rectangles or circles—revealed themselves to be intricate structures like plant and animal cells. This newfound clarity has opened my eyes to the extraordinary details that science unveils in everyday life, and there are countless other examples where science has brought hidden wonders into focus.
Junior 3rd Place: Anne Cronin (3rd Year), Santa Sabina Dominican College (Teacher: Paul Nugent)
On my walk home from school, I was struck by how the trees are pruned to fit around electricity wires. For thousands of years, trees provided humans with fuel for heat, light and cooking, and even long-distance communications with smoke signals and beacons. Nowadays, thanks to scientific advances, electricity has become central to modern life and gives us more power than ever to discover, create and communicate. The straight lines of the wires here represent the power of science, and the beauty of the tree silhouette reminds us of the power of nature.
The following entries were given ‘Highly Commended‘ by the judges.
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