Young geographers from across the globe gathered at Maynooth University this week for the 20th International Geography Olympiad (IGEO), the first time this event has been held in Ireland and has featured an Irish team.
Secondary school students Riddhiba Rana and Jennifer Grimes from Manor House School in Raheny, Dublin and Cadhla Tuner and Ava Mulhall from Wicklow Town Educate Together Secondary School are the first to represent Ireland at iGeo, which brings together 16–19-year-olds from across the world to take part in geographical fieldwork, examinations and cultural exchanges.
Welcoming the 200 young geographers to MU, Dr Stephen McCarron, Head of MU’s Department of Geography said: “It is a pleasure and honour to welcome some of the brightest geographers from across the world to Ireland for this Olympiad competition. Following the inspirational example of our sports Olympians the standards set by these scholarly Olympians also inspires great hope and we are delighted to be able to encourage their love for the subject and our Earth in any way possible.”
A total of 50 teams are taking part in the Olympiad, with each team consisting of four students aged 16 – 19 who were selected following a national competition, and two team leaders. All continents are represented in the competition with teams coming from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mongolia and the US.
Over the course of the week, the students engage in a series of individual exams including a written exam, a multi-media exam and fieldwork. Before they arrive, the teams also design a poster for the team poster competition. Cultural events are also organised for participants including Irish dancing, an introduction to Gaelic games and a visit to Dublin.
Dr Susan Pike, Chair of the IGEO local organising committee and Assistant Professor in Geography Education at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) said: “Maynooth University’s campuses have been an ideal base for the geography community for the events of IGEO. The students were delighted with the welcome they’ve received, which has ensured they feel at home for their examinations and the other events of the week.”
The event precedes the 35th International Geographical Conference (IGC) 2024, which takes place in Dublin from August 24-30 and is the largest gathering of international geographers.
The Olympiad began with an opening ceremony on Monday, August 19, attended by the Department of Education’s Chief Inspector, Yvonne Keating, and the mayors of County Kildare and Clane/Maynooth, Joe Neville and Naoise Ó’Cearúil. The winners of the competition are awarded their gold, silver or bronze Olympiad medals and certs at the closing ceremony on Friday, August 23.
Along with MU and TCD, the local organising committee for the Olympiad included members from Dublin City University (DCU), University College Dublin (UCD) and Marino Institute of Education (MIE) as well as Esri Ireland.
