Over 1,000 students from across Ireland are participating in the 61st Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin. The participants began their unforgettable BTYSTE experience yesterday morning, where they prepared for the first round of judging which was completed after the official opening of the exhibition by President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins. 17-year-old Cliodhna Ward from Our Lady's in Castleblayney is one of the many students who are representing the Northern Sound region at the event. Combining her love for the GAA and saving lives, Cliodhna created the '30 seconds of your time campaign'.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Cliodhna said she has had a "fantastic experience" at the competition so far. She also said she was "grateful" for the opportunity to showcase a project which is close to her heart on such a national level. "The people here are absolutely lovely and I'm meeting such interesting people," she told Northern Sound.
"After making contact with the GAA, the organisation has taken such an interest in it," explained Cliodhna. "The GAA put my poster up on their social media accounts, they also sent my poster to all club secretary's across the country which includes information about how to register your AED. Even some footballers themselves such as Conor McManus have shared it on their social media accounts just to get it really out there. I actually received some statistics from the Ambulance Service that there's actually a 2 percent increase in the amount of AEDs registered. Within the first two weeks of my campaign being released on the GAA website there were 24 new AEDs registered which is absolutely brilliant to hear as it could potentially saves someone's life which is my ultimate goal."
