EDITORIAL: What have the Irish invented?

Taking a look back to the history of inventions from Ireland, we clearly have a rich history of innovation, writes Aoife Sheehan.

Ireland has a rich history of inventions linked to it, including even the introduction of spaces when writing.

Boyle’s Law, an important part of modern chemistry, was found by Irish scientist Robert Boyle. Boyle’s Law is important when trying to understand how gases behave.

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Road bowling, a game I’m sure many of you have either played or seen on country roads around Ireland, was invented in Ireland in the seventeenth Century.

As I mentioned above, Irish scribes are said to be the first to introduce spacing in text in the seventh Century.

It is said that the flavoured potato crisp was invented in Ireland in 1950 by Joseph Murphy.

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Keeping to the theme of food inventions, the spice bag was invented in Dublin in 2013.

Some people may be surprised to find out it is an Irish creation, those who have visited Asia might not be so shocked.

Next time you’re in the airport having a nose round the duty free, remember that it was Shannon Airport that first unveiled the first duty free shop, after Brendan O'Regan came up with the bright idea.

A staple in many households across the country, Sudocrem was invented in Ireland by a Dublin pharmacist called Thomas Smith.

Whether it is a scientific discovery, a familiar game or even the rules of everyday language, us Irish have invented a lot.

With all of these past inventions in mind, it is important that we fund science, social and any other research opportunities to ensure research continues in Ireland and more inventions are realised.