`Irish Times' writer a winner at Irish science journalism awards

The Irish Times Science Editor, Dick Ahlstrom, has won one of four awards presented in Dublin yesterday in the inaugural Irish Science and Technology Journalism Awards. The awards are part of the Government's Science, Technology and Innovation awareness programme, and are sponsored by IBM.

His entry won in the category focusing on Irish science or technology, and concerned research carried out at UCC where it was discovered that subjecting foods to pressure normally experienced at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean could increase their shelf life.

The overall award for the best piece of science and technology journalism was jointly awarded to Anne Roper and Keelin Shanley for the production and presentation of It came from Outer Space, part of RTE's Big Science television series.

The awards were presented by the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Noel Trea cy, who said he was delighted a serious attempt was being made to pay tribute to the professionalism of so many people in this specialised area of journalism.

Mr John Travers of Forfas, which implements the Government's Science, Technology and Innovation initiative, welcomed indications of increased science and technology journalism. "A number of leading newspapers now have well-established science and technology spaces, and others are moving in that direction."

The chief executive of IBM Ireland, Mr William Burgess, said investing some £5 billion annually his company had a great interest in the awards. "It was wonderful to see the ease with which the journalists dealt with the different and often complex topics, and yet produced reports that were both informative and easy to understand."

Christopher Moriarty had the best contribution focusing on Irish science and technology by an occasional writer or contributor. His article on the rehabilitation of Co Mayo's River Moy was published by Technology Ireland.

Freelance journalist Gerry Byrne won in the category for the use of everyday English with his article "One of our satellites is missing", published in the Daily Telegraph. RTE's Pat Kenny chaired the judging panel.