21st January 2014
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Sean Kelly, MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee, has urgently requested a meeting with Dr.Rolf Heuer, Director General of CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research and the world’s top particle physics lab, to progress steps towards Ireland’s membership of CERN. Last summer, physicists working at the 27km tunnel at CERN in Geneva, made a groundbreaking announcement, that they had discovered signs of a new subatomic particle consistent with the Higgs boson, the basic building block of the universe. Ireland remains the only country in Western Europe, not to sign-up for membership of the CERN science project.
Sean Kelly MEP, former GAA President and CERN membership advocate said: “The abundance of scientific creativity amongst school kids and young adults within Ireland, was clearly manifested recently at the 50th anniversary of the (BT) Young Scientist and Technology exhibition at the RDS. One key exhibitor present, the Coderdojo movement, (which has recently launched a LIONS@FRICA partnership with the US Department of State to teach coding skills to the youth in Africa), set-up by Cork-based social entrepreneurs, James Whelton and Bill Liao’s, demonstrates how Ireland can be a world leader in nurturing young talent, and preparing future generations for rewarding career’s in science and technology. The CERN project, now provides a once in a life-time opportunity for Ireland to become a world leader in developing a smart, sustainable economy.”
Sean Kelly spoke with TheCork.ie