Ellen is speaker at Dublin science conference

Ellen in 2023 pictured with her poster display on her TTV research at the International Pediatric Transplant Association conference in Austin, Texas.

Kilcullen scientist Ellen Kelly will be one of the speakers at the BioMedica 2025 conference in two weeks' time in Dublin, writes Brian Byrne. The event, organised by the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine, runs on 19-20 March in the Convention Centre Dublin and is the largest scientific meeting for professionals involved in clinical laboratories in Ireland.

Ellen is the daughter of Joe and Gillian and is Senior Technical Officer in Molecular Virology at the National Virus Reference Laboratory, which she joined in 2017 after graduating from UCD the year before with a Pharmacology degree. 

She earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Science (Medical Microbiology) from Ulster University with a project investigating Torque Teno Virus loads as a marker of immunosuppression in paediatric kidney transplant recipients. Essentially, that project was to establish 'biomarkers' that could help make sure that babies and small children who need kidney transplants get the correct dosages of anti-rejection treatment. Her findings were presented at Biomedica 2023 and at the International Pediatric Transplantation Association Meeting in Austin, Texas, in 2023 and her literature review on that subject was recently published in Pediatric Transplantation.

Ellen's current work involves performing diagnostic tests and ensuring a rapid turnaround of test results to the NVRL service users. Performing verifications and validations of diagnostic tests and equipment is also a significant part of her workload, along with the training of new staff.

Ellen did her Leaving Cert in Cross and Passion College in 2011 and credits her initial interest in biology to encouragement by her ‘fantastic’ teacher Marguerite Carmody. While in 6th year in CPC she received the Principal's Award for contribution to school life, in recognition of her work and involvement in the school during her six years there. She was also a recipient of a Scholar's Award during her first year at UCD for her Leaving Certificate achievement of 540 points or higher, which placed her among the top 4pc of LC students in the country. 

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Solar storm could have aurora display tomorrow night

File image by Tobias Bjorkli via pexels.

A clear late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning could provide good local conditions to see another display of 'Northern Lights' auroras, writes Brian Byrne.

This follows a geomagnetic storm warning from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). The auroras, if the conditions are as predicted, could be visible in the latitudes below 50 degrees, comfortably lower than Ireland.

The phenomenon is caused by  solar radiation flares which are heading towards a maximum activity in an 11-year cycle. Last May a strong burst resulted in aurora displays visible across Ireland, including Kildare where many local photographers took stunning pictures on the Curragh and at Old Kilcullen.  

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A nun, a magnet, energising a career in technology

When Cross and Passion nun Sr Brendan demonstrated to Senior Infants the properties of magnets and how they can move metal around, she contributed to exciting one Kilcullen pupil into a fascination about science, writes Brian Byrne. That young boy was Eugene Brennan of Nicholastown, who later became an electronics engineer, and today is passing on his own passion for science and technology through his blogs and Facebook pages.

“My father and grandfather were also technical people,” Eugene recalls. “My father worked as a fitter on the Curragh, and when I was very young he used to bring home scrap motors and other assorted electrical items like coils and buzzers from old equipment, and I tinkered with those.”

After the Senior Infants magnets session, Eugene came across a Ladybird book on the subject in the school library — Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries — and when he mentioned it at home his family sourced a copy for him. “It’s still my favourite science book,” he says, adding that in his own articles on his blogs and produced for other internet sites he works on the Ladybird principle of making highly technical stuff understandable to the ordinary reader. 

Eugene is the youngest of his family, with older siblings who worked in teaching, nursing and childcare, and for a state body. He had a childhood aspiration to go to Australia, by digging his way there after reading yet another Ladybird book, on Mining. "That didn't work out," he laughs. "But I still like digging holes in the garden." There was also a Chemistry Set in his growing up years, "with stuff like toxic and explosive chemicals that you'd never get in sets today." In the Patrician Brothers in Newbridge he did Science for his Inter Cert and Physics and Chemistry for his Leaving.

After studying Engineering in DIT Kevin Street in the mid-1980s, Eugene qualified with a degree in Electrical, Electronic Control and Instrumentation from TCD. He also has a FETAC qualification in Industrial Automation from FÁS Cabra. He subsequently worked on a number of projects with different employers, among these helping to develop a device used on earth-moving machinery for levelling ground. Another was development of data logging and telemetry software and equipment, used by local authorities in monitoring sewage and water treatment plants. "I also worked as a calibration technician for Weber Sensors Ltd in Naas."

Eugene's work often involved writing instruction manuals for technicians, with graphics and tables showing how to operate equipment. "I enjoyed doing that," he says, recalling how, even earlier, his first production of an infographic was in Gerry O'Donoghue's class in primary school when he made a mixing chart for paint colours, subsequently used by fellow pupils. Around two decades ago, following a period of unemployment, he began writing in earnest and particularly creating mathematics and physics tutorials on a number of websites, and also writing tool guides and about gardening and DIY.

He has three discussion groups running on Facebook. Kilcullen Gardening, Talking Tools, and most recently Kilcullen Science & Engineering. The titles are self-explanatory, the concept being platforms for people to talk about the subjects, and also to help novices in the various fields. "They are mixtures of short, original articles written by myself, and also links to other articles I've written and a variety of curated content from reputable sites. I also share links to recommended podcasts I've listened to."

For example, on the Kilcullen Science & Engineering Facebook page, recent short pieces include an explanation of why some ominous clouds in thunderstorms look like they do — it's to do with hail in suspension. There's an introduction to a podcast about editing DNA, musing about paranormal experiences in old buildings, and a link to how a heart works. Go to his blog of the same name and you have easily-understood pieces on a myriad of STEM subjects, from astronomy through electrical engineering, geology, mathematics to psychology and everything in between. 

From hubpages.com (eugbug) you can browse a wildly eclectic range of How To articles which he has written on a range of websites, from How to Fix a Button on Jeans Without Sewing to Understanding the Principle of Archimedes — both pieces of essential life knowledge — to Top 100 Cool Science Facts for Kids. "In total, I'm up to 13 million reads of my articles now on all those other websites. Some get more traffic than others, and they're seasonal — in the summer the gardening gets more interest, for instance, in the winter when kids are back to school, the others do better." The Kilcullen-specific pages don't particularly register highly, but that's a matter of Google's indexing policies. 

Eugene Brennan's mind is clearly a complex rabbit burrow network of polymath knowledge, from which he has been essentially "paying my bills for five or six years" through advertising revenue around the articles he has written. He first got involved in this process about a dozen years ago, initially not realising that it could be monetised. "It started off with one article, and then I improved on the system," he recalls, agreeing that he effectively 'fell into' internet income generation. "I started including photographs, and structured the articles better. I like explaining things."

Eugene has concerns about the future of writers like himself in the era of AI, where a search on the internet won't bring a page of links but will be capable of writing an article on the requested subject 'on the fly' from all the information already out there. There are also ongoing issues with people copy-paste stealing of his material. "I waste quite a bit of my time serving takedown notices to Google and hunting down the people who steal articles, and then I have to go to the hosting companies to notify them of copyright infringements."

But for now, it's quite probable that, somewhere out there, there are young people who are becoming energised about science and technology through a chance encounter with one of Eugene's pieces. If so, it's a nice example of life's circularity.

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Kilcullen scientist's Skunk Cabbage programme 'very successful'

Skunk Cabbage on the Liffeyside in Kilcullen.

A programme to control the incidence of the invasive species Skunk Cabbage along the Liffey is working out very successfully, and at the same time providing important new knowledge in how to deal with it, writes Brian Byrne.

Kilcullen resident and ecologist Dr Jan Baars is leading the programme, which is part of a research initiative at the Invasive Ecology Lab in the UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science, where he works.

This summer marks the third year of the Liffey programme, which was kicked off when Jan Baars did an initial kayak survey of a 20km stretch of the Liffey, mapping out incidences of the bright yellow plant, escaped from ornamental ponds in gardens.

Jan Baars talking about life in the river to Scoil Bhride pupils last week.

Skunk Cabbage is originally from Alaska, and gives off a distinctive odour that gets it its name. It was brought to these islands in the early 1900s as an ornamental plant, and over the last century escaped into the wild, growing in wet and marshy areas. It was classified as an invasive species by the EU in 2018.

Dr Baars found one of the biggest populations of the species in Ireland was in Kilcullen itself, some 5,600 plants on the wetland area just across from Kilcullen Town Hall. As there was little guidance available on how to control or eliminate it, he set up a specific scheme on the Liffey to try out different ways of doing so. With the help of graduate students from UCD, the programme now has developed an important data base from which a number of publications have already been made. The work has been part-funded by grants from Kildare County Council and the National Parks & Wildlife Service.

With almost a hundred sites along the Liffey now included in the project, the experience gained in bringing them under control has found that a mix of spraying and manually pulling up young plants works well. But because seeds can live in the sites for up to eight years, it is necessary to go back at least every two years to deal with recurrent infestations. 

"It has to be continued, or what we have done to date will have gone to waste," Jan Baars told the Diary last week. "Adult plants take four years to flower, and we're now at the point where we can go back and pick up all the new juvenile plants, which are easier to find than seedlings." He says the numbers of plants they are now finding on the Liffey sites 'are reducing hugely'.

Dr Baars (right) working at the Kilcullen Skunk Cabbage site in 2021 with team members Matthew Curtis and Oscar Flynn.

In addition to the Liffey project, the Invasive Ecology Lab team are controlling sites for Dun Laoghaire County Council, at Blackwater in Co Clare, and in the Killarney National Park where there are some infestations through plants originating at Muckross House.

The control projects are very labour-intensive, as manual control with some spraying has worked out to be the most consistently successful. "The key thing is getting helpers who really pay attention, because every seedling has to come out. You need to be very systematic, with a team that cares very much about what they are doing."

Since Skunk Cabbage is an issue for many Irish waterways, in the end there will likely need to be a state-funded programme to try and  fully eradicate it, but for the moment Jan Baars is very appreciative of the cooperation of landowners in allowing access to sites, and support for the pilot project provided by Bridget Loughlin, Heritage Officer with Kildare County Council; and Eileen Canny, Divisional Ecologist at the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

"It doesn't cover our full costs, but the work is giving our staff valuable experience in dealing with invasive species." 

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Free graphic novel about pioneering physicist Kathleen Lonsdale

A free graphic novel about the life of Newbridge-born physicist Kathleen Lonsdale can be picked up in Kilcullen Library, writes Brian Byrne.

A pioneer in crystallography, Kathleen was born in Charlotte Street in Newbridge, but moved to London at the age of five in 1908. Against all the mores of the time for girls, she studied Mathematics and Physics and later won a position as a researcher at University College London. She eventually was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University.

Kathleen Lonsdale - A Life was written and illustrated by artist and author Maeve Clancy. It was commissioned by the Riverbank Arts Centre and the County Kildare Library & Arts Service. It is well worth picking up, especially for families who have children interested in Science.

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Science, fire and fun at Riverbank this weekend

A circus science show for families next Saturday in the Riverbank Arts Centre promises to enthral children and adults alike.

StrongWomen Science is presented by engineer Aoife Raleigh and environmental scientist Maria Corcoran, and will reveal the secrets behind many 'magical' scientific tricks.

If your children — or yourself — always wanted to how circus performers balance a chair on their chin, juggle liquid, or eat fire, this is the show that reveals all.

The event strongly promotes interest in science, especially for young women and girls, in a fun and accessible way.

StrongWomen Science is at Riverbank Arts Centre on Saturday 13 May starting at 2pm. Tickets are €10/€32 (family of 4) and can be booked through the Box Office, either in person or by telephone on 045 448327 Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm (closed for lunch 2-2.30) and Saturday 10am-1pm. Tickets are also available online 24/7. 

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Exhibition about scientist Kathleen Lonsdale for Riverbank

An installation based on the life of Newbridge-born scientist Kathleen Lonsdale will open in the Riverbank Arts Centre Newbridge on Saturday, writes Brian Byrne.

The official opening of the presentation by artist Maeve Clancy is at 2pm. The artist has provided an immersive cut paper experience to show the scientist's life alongside drawings, lighting and animation.

Kathleen Lonsdale, born Kathleen Yardley in 1903 in Newbridge, became an eminent X-ray crystallography expert, achieving a number of knowledge firsts in her research. She was one of the first two women elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1945, the first woman tenured professor at University College London, first woman president of the International Union of Crystallography, and first woman president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. She was also a committed pacifist and a prison reform activist. She died in 1971.

Her home up to the age of five in Charlotte Street, Newbridge, has recently been refurbished and opened as a Business Centre.

Maeve Clancy, who also works in theatre and TV set design, has created a graphic novel about Kathleen Lonsdale, which will be available free from the Riverbank Arts Centre and the Kildare Library Service.

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Film about Newbridge-born scientist

Kathleen Lonsdale, photo by FC Livingstone; and Charlotte House, Newbridge, where she spent her early life.

A film to be screened in the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge will highlight the life and work of scientist Dr Kathleen Lonsdale, who was born in the town, writes Brian Byrne.

The screening on Saturday 5 March of The Lonsdale Project is particularly aimed at young people aged 11 and a half upwards, and has been produced by the Super Paua artist-led collective. Dr Lonsdale (1903-1971) was a crystallographer, anti-war campaigner, writer, mother, and former inmate of Holloway Prison. According to the film's producers, her name is still 'curiously unknown by the general public'.

The film came out of a theatre performance prepared by the collective in 2020, a play which in turn was an original narrative developed from the scientist's biography. Although hundreds of local children had been booked to see the performance, the first pandemic lockdown meant that only one class managed to attend a preview, St Patrick’s Newbridge ... which coincidentally was the school that Kathleen Lonsdale attended in 1907. She was born in and lived the first five years of her life in Charlotte House, Newbridge, then the Post Office where her father, Harry Yardley, was the postmaster. It is hoped that Kathleen Lonsdale’s son, Stephen Lonsdale, will travel to Ireland for the premiere.

The Lonsdale Project is supported by Science Foundation Ireland, Arts Council of Ireland, Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, The Royal Institution, SciFest, and TU Dublin. The premiere screening of the film will take place at 2pm on 5 March. A Q&A with the creative team and crystallographer Dr Claire Murray will take place after the screening. Tickets are €4 and all are welcome: booking at www.riverbank.ie.

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CPC student's pet food app project selected for Young Scientists Exhibition

A student at Cross & Passion College has had her project accepted for inclusion in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2021, writes Brian Byrne.

She is Aideen Stein, in Third Year, and her project is one of 550 successful entries in the contest, which this year will be virtual and online.

Her project involves the creation of an app which identifies what foods are safe for pets to eat in light of their allergies.

Aideen's Science Teacher is Ms Aisling Doyle and Science Club Teacher Dr Eleanor Higgins. Aideen has already won three awards in the SciFest — Intel Award for Best Technology Project, Junior Innovation Award, and Irish Science Teachers Association Award.

Just 14 projects across Kildare have qualified for the 57th annual Young Scientists Exhibition. The organisers say the projects for the event are heavily influenced by healthcare and Covid-19, and they also show an increasing awareness of major social issues such as mental health, gender studies and diversity.

Selected from over 1,300 entries, the finalists represent 213 schools across 29 counties and will showcase their projects on the BTYSTE virtual platform to a national — and increasingly international — audience. 

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Check out today's Science Week online events

The 25th Science Week is now under way, running until 15 November with a wide range of events reflecting all aspects of science, writes Brian Byrne.

Supported by Science Foundation Ireland, the event this year is all online due to the restrictions of the pandemic.

Attendances are free, with booking available via Eventbrite. Information and links for the presentations are available here.

Today, Wednesday, there is a Creative Illustration Workshop with Alan Nolan, courtesy of the SEAI. Looking to the skies, there's an Astrophysics Researcher Talk with Dr Caitriona Jackman from DIAS about her amazing research using I-LOFAR to study planets in our Solar System, suitable to students from 1st-3rd Years in second level (starts at 10am).

An Energy & Climate Policy Panel Discussion: Ask the Scientists, is happening from 12 noon. And this evening from 6.45pm there's an online science show — Build Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine, an event suitable for all the family.

More events over the next days. Check them out.

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Rise of the supermoon

Pic: Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.

Another Sunbury moonshot, this time taken this evening as the 'supermoon' rises, writes Brian Byrne. It's better than what I got last evening, where there was intermittent light cloud covering.

If you want to be really nerdy, get up at 3.30am to see the full moon at its actual closest to Earth.

I won't be ...

Beat the Virus: Stay At Home. 

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Supermoon to be seen tonight

Pic: Brian Byrne/Kilcullen Diary.

Above is a view of the moon over Kilcullen last night, writes Brian Byrne. Tonight a so-called 'supermoon' will be visible over Ireland, particularly at 3.35am on Wednesday morning.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest distance to the Earth, or the perigree.

The event will be visible from around 8.30pm this evening, and the moon is now at 356,000 kilometres away from the Earth compared to the furthest point away, the apogee, when it is 405,000 kilometres.

Beat the Virus: Stay At Home. 

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