We put some finishing touches to our Model during the week by adding more small models such as the Claddagh Hall, GTI, the Rowing and Yachting Club and others. We made some small trees from cotton wool, paint and toothpicks. We made name labels for the extra models and everything seemed to be in order for the Science and Technology Festival.

During the week we also went to Making Einstein Easy in the Taibhearc. This was an excellent presentation by Debbie and Helen. We must use our brains abit more!

On Sunday morning, 27th. November, 2005, we set up The Waterways Model in the Galway Bay Hotel. Here we had a great position at the entrance to the Exhibition Hall. The Model looked terrific. Many people visited our stand, asked us many questions and it was nice to see adults and children pointing out places they knew. Minister Noel Treacy, Patron of the Science Projects paid us a visit and after chatting with us for a while about Galway and its waterways had his photo taken with us.

Later on Mr. Leo Enright, RTE Space Correspondent, and his assistant made a film of the Deputy Mayor talking to us about the importance of the waterways to Galway in the past and how we, as a city, were still using them. He himself also congratulated us on our excellent work.
We really enjoyed our day in the Galway Bay Hotel - being given time to visit the other excellent exhibits from other primary schools and the other interesting shows.

However we think our 3 D Model of the Waterways of Galway was really good and are quite proud of it. Thanks to Dermot and Podge who started us off on April 1st., 2004 and to our teachers who helped and encouraged us along the way.

We will continue to add to the model and perhaps you may be able to see it in the New Galway Museum.

The big day arrived and we brought the Waterways to Atlantiquaria. Some of us manned the Model and met some interesting people through the day. We heard nice comments from very famous people who were introduced to us by Brendan Smith. These included Tom Mc Sweeney,
the Seascapes Man from R.T.E. andMr. James Harold, Galway City Arts Officer. We picked up interesting bits of information about Galway such as that there is a network of tunnels under our city. I wonder if that is true!

On Monday, November 22nd., the Waterways Model was on display once more-this time in the
Galway Education Centre at the winding down ceremony of the 2001-2005 Fionn Galway Schools Science Project. This was attended by representatives of 35 Primary Schools in the county who had taken part in this marvellous campaign. Among the many dignitaries there who viewed the model were Minister Noel Treacy and Leo Enright of R.T.E. Space Fame.

The next outing will be the Big One - the Galway Science and Technology Festival in the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm on Sunday next, November 27th.

Getting ready for Science Week 2005

We spent a lot of time this week working on the project. Everything had to be finished as our waterways project was being brought from the school to be made available for the launch of Irish Science Week on Sunday in the Atlantaquaria in Salthill. Streets had to be painted and the last of the little buildings had to be made. It was very hard work. Brother Niall said that our project was mentioned in the newspapers this week. So many people will be coming to look at it on Sunday.
We will tell you next week how we got on.

President of Ireland Admires Our Waterways Project

President of Ireland Admires Our Waterways Project
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

Mary McAleese, the President of Ireland, recently visited our school tas part of our Jubilee Year celebrations.
The President said that she really liked the model of our waterways project.

The Waterways Model in the Classroom

The Waterways Model
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

A 'fly on the wall' view!
Here one can see the complete model base largely uncoloured and minus the buildings.
Not bad so far?

Galway City Streetscape - close-up view

Galway City Streetscape - close-up
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

A work in progress.
A close up view of the streets of Galway city before we start colouring the aeroboard base and before we start positioning the buildings

Week 3

Today we will be talking about the buildings we will placing on the waterways structure.
Some of the buildings that are already made include St. Pats school, Galway Cathedral, St. Joseph's College (the Bish), NUIG, the Spanish Arch and the Fire Station. The buildings we are making today include the new Museum, the buildings of the Long Walk, Jurys Inn and a famous Chinese restaurant.
We will also be painting the buildings that we already have made.
Next week we are on our mid-term break. Great!!! So see you in two weeks!

Re-doing the Cardboard Buildings

Re-doing the Cardboard Buildings
This week we decided some of the buildings were too small. So some buildings had to be re-done. Making these models out of cardboard is a difficult task as they are quite small. The buildings are made of cardboard and sellotape. We then paint them white. Later the various correct building colours are added.
Yet again some boys went out to look at and sketch the build ings that they were doing.
The water courses and streets were previously done by another class last May/June.

First Blog Entry by a Pupil! Hurray!!

First Blog Entry by a Pupil! Hurray!!
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

The blog and its first posting was organised by our mentor, Brendan Smith, from the Digital Entperprise Research Institute at Galway University.
But we very quickly began to write our own postings.
Brendan said that we are the first group of primary school pupils in Ireland to have our own blog. Great!

Sketching the New Museum

Sketching the New Museum
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

One group is photographed here pointing to the new City Museum that they had just sketched

Sketching Jury's Inn

Sketching Jury's Inn
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

All pupils involved in the project visited the waterside buildings allocated to their group to undertake sketches of their features. These plans were drawn on paper using pencil.
Upon returning to the school, we then preceeded to make cardboard sculptures based on these drawings

Brother Niall Instructs Pupils

Brother Niall Instructs Pupils
Originally uploaded by stpatsprimary.

Supervisor of the Waterways Project, Brother Niall, tells us what to do and how to do it

Week two: The project continues!

Today we started on the ground plans of the main buildings that surround the waterways of Galway city.
Some lads went out to the actual buildings to draw sketches of the layout of the structures.
Some buildings are hard to do because they have bits sticking out here and there.
Some groups have already started making the models out of paper and cardboard.
We are looking forward to next weeks work.Till then See you soon!

Galway City - the 'Venice Of Ireland'

Our School's Waterways Project

The city of Galway is inundated by a network of interlinked waterways consisting of canals, rivers and lakes feeding into the great Atlantic ocean. It is often referred to as the 'Venice of Ireland'.
St. Patrick's Boys' Primary School is fortunate to be located in the heart of this vast water system. In former times, these waterways were the economic lifeline of the city and were populated by water wheels and commercial boat traffic.
To honour our Golden Jubilee celebrations, Galway City Council's Arts office comissioned the school to create a three dimensional sculpture of the waterways which will be on display at the opening of the new museum in 2006. This activity is part of the Galway 'Fionn' Primary School Science programme which means that we have to produce a scientific movie documentary of the project for the benefit of all schools