Mother of BT Young Scientist winners is from Mayo

The Murphy sisters from Tralee, the overall winners of the 61st BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition last weekend, have strong Mayo connections. Their mother, Theresa, is daughter of Frances and the late Denis Mulkeen of Faughill, a small village between Knock and Kiltimagh.

Theresa was a member of the teaching staff at Mount St Michael, Claremorris, for a number of years before moving to Kerry after marrying Seamus Murphy from Tralee. Locals have been warmly extending messages of goodwill to Frances on the amazing achievement of her three young granddaughters.

The sisters, Laoise (12), Ciara (17) and Saoirse Murphy (15) are students at the Presentation Secondary School in Tralee and won the top prize with their project ACT (Aid Care Treat): App-timising emergency response.

It was a proud moment for Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD, herself a native of Tralee, to preside along with Shay Walsh, Managing Director of BT Ireland, at the presentation of the BTYSE trophy to the Murphy sisters on Friday evening at the RDS in Dublin.

ACT is a medical assistance app designed to support emergency healthcare responses. It integrates crucial features to provide swift and effective aid during critical situations.

The girls spent the last year working on their project along with public and private sector stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE and the National Ambulance along with the Gardaí.

The sisters were also presented with a prize of €7,500 and they will also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists being held in Riga, Latvia. For the first time, the overall Young Scientist winners will be awarded a trip to the World Expo in Osaka, Japan.