Table of contents for September 2024 in The Primary Planet

Welcome back, everyone! A new school year, a new season of TPP. Hopefully that will help dispel the back-to-school blues that some of you may be dealing with right now. How was your summer? Did you go anywhere nice? Did you do anything fabulous? Here at TPP HQ we spent the summer weeks putting together a programme of content we hope you will really enjoy throughout the year. Of course, this summer was a true sporting spectacle and I'm sure many of you were glued to your screens throughout June, July and August, enjoying a mixture of soccer, GAA, Olympic and Paralympic entertainment. And what a summer it was for Team Ireland! It's no surprise that we’re going all out in this ‘golden’ issue to bring you the record-breaking and…

Irishwoman Set for Space Dr Norah Patten is set to become Ireland’s first astronaut. She is one of a three-woman team being sent by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) to advance scientific knowledge in the areas of fluids and biomedical research in space. The mission follows on from one carried out by the IIAS and Virgin Galactic in 2023. With the other team members, Kellie Gerardi (US) and De Shawna Pandya (Canada), Norah will board Virgin Galactic’s new commercial spacecraft, Delta, which will begin operating in 2026. A ticket for such a flight would normally cost about €560,000 but the researchers’ flights are being funded by investors, grants and sponsors. The space flight will be less than two hours long and is sub-orbital, meaning that it will travel…

By Lily Yang, 6th Class, St. Peter’s NS, Phibsboro, Co. Dublin When talking about the most prominent historical figures from Dublin, for me, I first think of the amazing composer and pianist John Field. Field was born into a musical family on July 26, 1782, in Golden Lane, Dublin. Field first studied the piano under his grandfather, also named John Field, who was a professional organist, and later Field studied under Italian composer Tommaso Giordani. The family moved to London in 1793 where Field studied with Italian composer and pianist, Muzio Clementi. Under Clementi’s tutelage, Field quickly became a well-known, accomplished, sought-after concert pianist. In around 1795, his performance of a Dussek piano concerto was praised by Haydn. Together, master and student visited Paris, Vienna and St. Petersburg. While travelling,…

Transformers One Where: In cinemas from October 11Cert: PGStarring the voices of: Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax and Brian Tyree Henry as D-16Directed by: Josh Cooley It’s time to show ‘em we are more than meets the eye! Transformers One is coming to town! This eagerly anticipated prequel dives into the origins of the epic rivalry between the Autobots and Decepticons. Set on the distant planet Cybertron, the movie explores the beginnings of two of the most iconic leaders in the Transformers universe: Optimus Prime and Megatron. As young bots, Orion Pax (later known as Optimus) and Megatron share a brotherly bond and a common vision for their world. However, conflicting ambitions soon drive a wedge between them, setting the stage for a monumental conflict. For Transformers fans this is a must-see, as familiar…

Maker: Rolls-RoyceCountry: EnglandModel: Cullinan SeriesYears: 2018-presentFuel: PetrolTransmission: Eight-speed automaticTop Speed: 250 km/hHorsepower: 592 hp Materials: The Cullinan Series II weighs 2,735 kg and uses an aluminium spaceframe chassis, which Rolls-Royce says provides an ideal driving experience in all conditions. DID YOU KNOW? The Cullinan Series II uses almost 18 km of thread and over two million stitches in the interior! Each car requires over 20 hours of handwork to complete the upholstery. 5 Fast Facts 1 The Cullinan Series II is powered by a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine and features a host of upgrades including an illuminated grille and redesigned headlights that sweep down the front. 2 New wheels have been created for this series; they are 23 inches (58.42 cm) in diameter, which is one inch (2.5 cm) larger than…

TPP's September Book of the Month Title: The Weather GirlsAuthor: Sarah WebbPublisher: O’Brien Press Year: 2024 It is 1944 and the Second World War (or 'The Emergency’ as it was known in neutral Ireland) is raging across Europe. Grace Devine lives with her family at the lighthouse and weather station in Blacksod, County Mayo. Although Grace’s parents send over weather data to England to assist the Allies with the war effort, the family’s lives remain largely untouched by the war. That is until the day Grace and her best friend Sibby rescue Hans, a young German pilot whose plane has crashed nearby … The Weather Girls is a story full of excitement and intrigue, while at the same time showing the vital role that Blacksod weather station played in the Second…

Sport not to be missed this month Highlighting the best sporting action taking place this month Solheim Cup Sep 13-15 Leona Maguire travels to Virginia with Europe for the biggest team tournament in women’s golf. This will be the Cavan native’s third Solheim Cup and she has played starring roles in the previous two, helping Europe retain the trophy. Munster vs Connacht Sep 21 Rugby returns in style with an interprovincial derby at Thomond Park in round one of the United Rugby Championship. Both Munster and Connacht underperformed last season so they will be keen to make a positive start. Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sep 15 The 2024 Formula 1 season has exploded into life and suddenly Max Verstappen is looking nervously over his shoulder. Expect plenty of drama on the…

He’s back! And with a vengeance. Well, Seamie is about as vengeful as Marty Morrisey, but you get my drift. With O’Neills proudly sponsoring jerseys for 10 more lucky monthly winners this season, it’s all to play for. For those of you who are new to TPP, the game is simple. Seamie is hiding somewhere in the magazine (other than here on page 2) and you must find him. When you do, log on to www.theprimaryplanet.ie/competitions (or scan the QR code) and leave the location, along with your name and school details in the comment box provided. If you are correct, you will get entered into a draw for a super-cool O’Neills GAA county jersey of your choice. Don’t worry if you don’t see your entry on the website. We’ll…

UK’s New PM Over the summer, there were big changes in the UK. A general election was held on July 4 and, after 14 years of Conservative party leadership, the people of the UK voted in a new Labour party government. The leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer, is the new prime minister, with Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labour party, as deputy prime minister. Labour won an overwhelming majority of 412 seats, with the Conservatives suffering their worst defeat in terms of seats in over a century, winning just 121 seats. As is usual in UK elections, Keir Starmer immediately took over as prime minister on July 5. He and his family have moved into the prime minister’s home, Number 10 Downing Street – one of the…

This month in history On this day, the National Trust for Scotland bought Fair Isle, situated in the North Sea between the Shetland islands (38 km away) and the Orkneys (43 km away). It’s famous for its traditional knitted sweaters, Spanish Armada shipwrecks and traditional music. The previous owner, George Waterston, founded its famous bird observatory. In 1954 the island had no electricity. Now it comes from three wind turbines, along with solar panels and batteries. In years past, rent was paid in butter, cloth and fish oil. On this day, Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) escaped from slavery in Maryland, USA. She went to Philadelphia but returned to Maryland to free her family and others. She made about 13 secret missions and rescued about 70 enslaved people, using the network of…

It’s Shaun the Sea Slug No, it’s not a cute toy. It’s real! ‘Shaun the Sheep’ is what some divers in the Philippines call this strange sea creature known as the leaf sheep – though it’s neither a leaf nor a sheep. It’s a sea slug! The protrusions resembling sheep’s ears are called rhinophores – they detect chemicals in the water, enabling the creature to find food. A leaf sheep is tiny (rarely more than 8 mm in size) and spends its life on a fuzzy type of algae, circling around its 'leaves' and grazing like a sheep in its own little world. It’s also called the ‘solar-powered sea slug’. Grazing on the algae, it sucks chloroplasts out of it and stores them in its cerata (the leaf-like things protruding…

Title: Tired Child (1954) Artist: Louis le Brocquy (1916–2012) Born: Dublin, Ireland Nationality: Irish Medium: Oil on canvas Style: Influenced by Cubism Artwork measurements: Height 61.2 x Width 51 cm On display at: Ulster Museum (a gift from the Thomas Haverty Trust, 1960) Louis le Brocquy studied chemistry at Trinity College Dublin, intending to have a career in the family oil refinery. Then he took up painting and instead chose a career in a different kind of oil! In 1952, admirers offered to buy his painting A Family for £400, to give to the Dublin Municipal Gallery. But the gallery rejected it, saying it was ‘incompetent’! 50 years later, businessman Lochlann Quinn bought the painting for £1.7 million and presented it to the National Gallery of Ireland – the first painting by a living…

Human v AI Dogfight The US Air Force has confirmed the first test dogfight between a human pilot and a fighter jet that was controlled by artificial intelligence (AI). The Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme was developed in 2022 to see if AI was able to control a fighter jet safely and effectively. During the aerial battle, both the human pilot and the AI system performed multiple stunts at speeds of up to 1,500 kilometres per hour! Although 12 test flights have taken place to date, the US Air Force are keeping the results classified – TOP SECRET to you and me! More tests are planned. DID YOU KNOW? The term ‘dogfight’ is used to describe a battle between two military aircraft in which they fly very fast and very…

Resilience: How to Bounce Back, Learn from Past Experiences and Move Forward Every day, we are faced with different challenges. These can be big or small – from having an argument with a friend to choosing what to have for lunch. Sometimes, the bigger challenges can get us down, and we feel like we have no control over them. This can lead to frustration or a feeling of not being able to do anything about it. Wouldn’t it be great if we could learn to recognise and deal with frustration and disappointment? Or if we could work on ways to bounce back quickly from setbacks and difficulties? If we could break free from negative thoughts and learn how to think differently? Here are some hints and tips to help you…

Mickey Harte’s storied inter-county management career will continue for a 23rd successive season. The three-time All-Ireland-winning boss has agreed to become joint manager of Offaly and will work alongside Declan Kelly, who has been manager since 2023. Harte is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. His three All-Ireland wins came with his native Tyrone, where he also won six Ulster Championships and a league title. ‘I am very aware of the history and tradition of Offaly football and believe there is huge potential within the county,’ said Harte. ‘I am really excited to work with Declan and the players to get the best out of the footballers in both the league and championship in 2025.’ Harte joined Louth in 2020 after his 18-year stint with Tyrone…

After a two-month hiatus, rugby makes a welcome return with the start of the United Rugby Championship. Last season was a disappointing one for all four Irish provinces but hopes are high that they will still be in the hunt for silverware when the school year nears its end. Connacht Plenty of ins and outs out west over the summer, with ex-New Zealand out-half Josh Ioane the most high-profile arrival. Failing to qualify for the Champions Cup should allow them to focus on the URC and get back into the top eight. Leinster Three years without a trophy and counting. Leinster have brought in big hitters RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett to help end that barren streak. They have their sights set on a URC and Champions Cup double. Munster…

With nearly €9 billion spent, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have come to a close – now a part of history. Yet the legacy left behind marks a new chapter in the annals of the Olympic Games. Enthusiasts worldwide are hailing Paris 2024 for injecting fresh energy and renewed optimism into what some had begun to see as a predictable spectacle. This time, the dominance of the traditional powerhouses was notably challenged and, while these nations still claimed the majority of the medals, new heroes emerged, sparking an unprecedented level of excitement and passion for the world’s greatest sporting event. Here in Ireland, we can be especially proud. Our record-breaking team of 134 athletes competed on the global stage, bringing home a total of seven coveted medals. While this tally…

Our Island’s History Proudly Sponsored By In our last article we saw how Queen Mary of England introduced the idea of ‘Plantation’ to extend English power, control and influence over Ireland. This meant bringing in English settlers or ‘planters’ to take over the land that had been confiscated or taken from the Irish. When her rule ended in 1558, this idea was continued on a much larger scale, and in a much more determined way, by her successor Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth I was the sister of Queen Mary and was the last of the Tudor monarchs. She ruled England and Ireland for 45 years, from 1558 until her death in 1603. During that time, she was determined to spread English power over Ireland – and she…

# 1 Sprout Madness From WWW News An Englishman has successfully climbed the highest mountain in Wales while pushing a Brussels sprout with his nose. Stuart Kettell took on the bizarre challenge to raise money for charity. He prepared for the gruelling climb by practising in his back garden, which isn't really the same thing, is it? It took three days for Stuart to reach the 1,085m summit, where he told waiting reporters he had no skin left on his knees. Charming! No matter how crazy you think Stuart was, he managed to raise over £4,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. This isn't the first wacky way Stuart has supported a charity. He once raised funds by staying inside a box for one whole week. 2024 UPDATE This was not the…

Hello there, Planet Farmers – and welcome back to another season of farming. Unfortunately, we all returned to school this August/September after another miserable summer of weather. On August 26 our farm had recorded 145 mm of rainfall for the month. This recording meant we were on track for the wettest August in 15 years. I know it was an Olympic year but this was one record or gold medal we could do without. Our first round of silage was baled on June 7 and ground conditions were good. The weather was broken after that, but I took a chance on June 23 and mowed the rest of the silage ground. We baled the next day and, while the quality was good, we did have a very small amount of…

If you visit Caño Cristales during the wet or dry seasons you’ll not be impressed. You’ll certainly wonder why it has 15,000 visitors a year! However, if you go between July and November you’ll be stunned by a most extraordinary spectacle. The Caño Cristales is a river in the Serranía de la Macarena, a mountain range in Colombia, South America. 6,200 km2 of the surrounding area has been protected since 1971 when it was made a national park. The river’s Spanish name is pronounced ‘Canyo Crist-a-les’ and means ‘Crystal Channel’. It is also known as the ‘River of Five Colours’ and the ‘Liquid Rainbow’. This is because from July to November the bed of the river glows with colour – yellow, green, blue, black and especially a vivid pink-red. Unique…

The Very Large Array (VLA) is a radio astronomy observatory on the Plains of San Agustin, in New Mexico in the south-west of the US. It is part of the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) which designs, builds and operates high-sensitivity radio telescopes for use by scientists around the world. At the VLA, scientists use radio astronomy to research astronomical phenomena invisible to ordinary telescopes. They also listen for signals that could be communications from other intelligent creatures in the universe. The full name of the VLA is the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. Jansky was an American physicist and radio engineer, who in 1933 announced that he had detected radio waves coming from the constellation Sagittarius in the Milky Way. People hardly believed him. The type of…

The Andean mountain cat is the most endangered feline in the Americas and is among the five most endangered cats worldwide. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is legally protected in all the countries where it lives, but nevertheless its population is rapidly decreasing, with perhaps fewer than 1,400 left today. It is a small wild cat with a head-to-body length of up to 85 cm and a bushy tail of up to 48.5 cm. It lives in the high Andes mountains of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, as well as the northern part of the Patagonian steppe in Argentina. Least known The Andean mountain cat is also one of the least-known cats worldwide, which doesn’t help in efforts for its conservation. An elusive creature,…

The summer holidays are over – but at least the Premier League is back to cheer us all up! Euro 2024 and the Olympics provided plenty of thrills and spills during the holidays before the PL hit the ground running with some cracking matches over the opening few weeks. September means back to school – and it also means it’s time for The Primary Planet’s season predictions! We correctly backed Manchester City as champions last year, and for Erling Haaland to finish as top scorer, so the pressure is on to continue that good form! Champions TPP says: Arsenal The Gunners pushed Manchester City all the way during last season’s gripping title race. They are a little light in attack but if they can stay injury free then Mikel Arteta’s…

Back Page Puzzler Age: 19County: OffalySport: Hurling ‘I’m 19, all I want to do is hurl.’ Adam Screeney is a scoring sensation who is helping to lift Offaly hurling out of the doldrums. The Faithful County are back competing for – and winning – All-Ireland titles at underage level, with Screeney at the forefront of their attack. The Kilcormac-Killoughey starlet had been earmarked as a rising star during his early teens but really burst onto the scene in 2022 when Offaly won their first Leinster title at minor level in 22 years. Screeney scored 5-51 across the championship including 0-10 in the provincial final win over Laois and 0-6 in the All-Ireland final, where Offaly suffered an agonising late loss to Tipperary. Screeney’s performance caught the eye of many of…