As cool as an ice device
TWO YOUNG entrepreneurs from Wicklow have impressed the international innovations community as they hit it big last weekend with their ‘Ice Device’ invention.
Cillian Kavanagh, a past student of Avondale Community College, and Daire Flood, who is currently attending the Rathdrum school, were representing Kildare and Wicklow Education Training Board and Ireland at the SWEEP (International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project Olympiad) competition held in sunny Houston, Texas.
The boys had already blazed a trail of success with their device, which removes frost and ice from the windscreens of all vehicles, while also preventing damage to windscreens and windscreen wipers.
They were competing in Texas against 365 projects from 65 countries in all.
Cillian and Daire are already used to taking the podium at national level and it seems like the international stage won’t be much different.
They were awarded the bronze medal in the engineering section of the competition. Delighted to have been listed among the winners, both young entrepreneurs were stunned to have their names called a second time when they were awarded one out of only 25 special merit awards for the Most Innovative Engineering project.
A delighted Cillian and Daire were joined over in Houston by their parents and their mentor teachers, Cathriona Hannafin and Brian Breen. News of their success was also greeted with much enthusiasm back at Avondale Community College.