After an explosive incident, entry for fun left the first YS winner in total shock

HE hesitates on the phone from California, before revealing an explosive fact about his exploration of science as a child: “At one point I nearly blew myself up after I started to experiment with gunpowder, TNT and nitroglycerine, which I made on a very small scale. It’s best not to go into that too much, though, as I wouldn’t want to encourage youngsters to do likewise.”

John Monahan is, of course, top of the history class in terms of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, he being the first winner, in 1965.

“I’ve been interested in science since I can remember. I lived in Kildare and had my own laboratory, probably from the age of 10. Gradually, I got some proper equipment, flasks, etc, and started doing respectable chemistry. I worked on the farm with my father Frank and my mother Tess and they encouraged me.”