De la Salle students named overall winners at SciFest@DkIT 2026
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently welcomed students from across the North Leinster and South Ulster region to take part in the SciFest@DkIT 2026 competition which took place on the DkIT campus. The competition, which was designed to inspire, empower and provide equal access to STEM opportunities for secondary school students, is this year celebrating 20 years of SciFest. A special anniversary award was included in this year’s line-up.
De La Salle College students Breffni Tuomey Lynch, Conor Douglas and Conn Sheridan were named overall winners at this year’s competition. The Dundalk students were presented with the SciFest Best Project Award for their project Under the Shell: The Hidden Effects of Sewage on Coastal Life.
The SciFest Runner-up Best Project Award was presented to Shourya Singh from St Joseph’s CBS, Drogheda for his project Comparing the Efficiency Among Varied Aerofoils in Energy Production.
Over 273 students from 21 schools across North Leinster and South Ulster presented their innovative projects to the judging panel to determine who would become the prize winners across a variety of categories.
132 innovative projects were on display throughout the competition, competing for 23 awards.
Among the prizes were; The SciFest Communications Award, Irish Science Teachers’ Association Award (ISTA Student Award), Regeneron Life Sciences Award, ESERO Discover Space Student Award and Teacher Awards, Keenova STEM Excellence Award, EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award, Intel Technology Award and the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award.
Two DkIT awards were also presented in each of the Senior, Intermediate and Junior categories.
SciFest is a national event which aims to encourage a love of science and provide an opportunity for students to display their scientific discoveries. The event includes an exhibition and competition of projects produced by second-level students.
DkIT has proudly hosted the North Leinster/South Ulster regional finals for the past eleven years with the high calibre of entries growing continuously each year. Students competing in the event can complete projects from a broad span of areas including physical sciences, computer science, social sciences, technology/engineering and health sciences.
SciFest@DkIT co-ordinator Dr Edel Healy, Head of School of Health & Science, DkIT said:
"We always look forward to welcoming a group of forward-thinking students to DkIT each year for SciFest. The interest in the competition and the breadth of ideas continues to grow and our competitors never cease to amaze us with their creativity. Well done to all of the wonderful students who took part in this year’s competition and to their teachers and mentors who provide invaluable support in getting them to this stage. A big thank you also to our wonderful sponsors and volunteers without whom this event wouldn’t be possible.”
Selected winning projects from the Regional Fair will advance to the National Final to compete for the SciFest STEM Champion 2026 Award. This award includes an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the Los Angeles, USA in May 2027.
Award Winners
SciFest Communications Award
School: Ardgillan Community College
Student: Maedhbh Gibbons - Intermediate
Project Name: Investigating the effects of Soil Salinity on Plant Growth.
Irish Science Teachers’ Association Award (ISTA Student Award)
School: St Mary's Diocesan School
Students: James Clarke, Senan Scanlon & Daniel Lawlor - Junior
Project Name: Investigating how different preparation conditions effect the strength of casein.
ESERO Discover Space Student Award
School: O’Carolan College
Student: Gemma Quinn - Intermediate
Project Name: The Big Bang: Was it really?
ESERO Discover Space Teacher Award
Teacher’s Name: Amy Kellett
SciFest Social Science Award
School: St. Mary’s College
Students: Ross Keenan, Finn Norton & Clara McQuillan - Intermediate
Project Name: Does Agricultural Education Improve Consumer Awareness of Sustainable Irish Beef Production Among First-Year Students?
SciFest Maths in Science Award
School: Ardgillan Community College
Students: George Cherian, Ahmad Avub, Hadi Bager - Intermediate
Project Name: The Readability Gap: Comparative Analysis of Language Demands in Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Exams and their Correlation with Grade Distributions.
SciFest Chemistry Student Award
School: St Mary's Diocesan School
Students: Seamus Keenan, Nidhish Rai Perwanee & Dennis Adam - Intermediate
Project Name: Growing Green: Evaluating Biodegradable Hydrogels for soil moisture retention and plant health in local soil types in Co. Meath.
SciFest Physics Award
School: Inver College
Students: Paul Matthews, Taylor Smyth, Tiernan Martin - Intermediate
Project Name: Hitsense impact tracking.
SciFest 20th Anniversary Award
School: Bailieborough Community School
Students: Zoe McCullagh, Molly Whelan, Chloe Clarke - Intermediate
Project Name: The Value of Women in Agriculture.
Business Excellence Institute Award
School: Our Lady’s Secondary School
Student: Ryan Philips - Senior
Project Name: The advantages of using hybrid hens over Purebred.
Regeneron Life Sciences Award
School: Eureka Secondary School
Students: Caoimhe Mynes, Caitlin Mynes - Senior
Project Name: Shining a light on Stargardts.
Intel Technology Award
School: St Mary’s Dioscean College
Students: Michael Ramalhao, Ryan Collins, Evan Murphy Reilly - Junior
Project Name: Investigating the efficiency of a buoyancy-driven energy conversion system.
Keenova STEM Excellence Award
School: Lusk Community College
Students: Isabel Mullally, Hannah Lyons - Intermediate
Project Name: Does usage of generative AI for a period of time decrease the brain’s ability to think creatively.
Judges’ Recommendation Award
School: Breifne College
Student: Lewis Mohan - Intermediate
Project Name: pHauling arches how river acidification effects building materials.
EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award
School: St Mary’s Diocesan School
Students: Rory O’Donnell, Paidi A’Coistealbha - Intermediate
Project: Creation of a Portable Marine Power System.
Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award
School: Our Lady’s College
Students: Fiona Merin Gino, Dania Satti - Intermediate
Project Name: Magnoception - expanding human senses through magnetism.
SciFest Runner-up Best Project Award
School: St Joseph’s CBS
Student Name: Shourya Singh - Junior
Project Name: Comparing the Efficiency Among Varied Aerofoils in Energy Production.
SciFest Best Project Award
School: De La Salle College
Students: Breffni Tuomey Lynch, Conor Douglas, Conn Sheridan - Intermediate
Project Name: Under the Shell: The Hidden Effects of Sewage on Coastal Life.
DkIT Awards
Best Senior Project
School: Our Lady's Secondary School
Student Name: Lorcan Haughey
Project Name: Intake of nutrients through root length of seeds.
Runner-up Senior Project
School: O'Carolan College
Student Names: Cody McCabe, Ryan Hoey, Adam Flood
Project Name: The Sustainable Tag Master Box.
Best Intermediate Project
School: Lusk Community College
Student Names: Maria Renduda, Emilia Vichareva
Project Name: Behind the Mask: The Molecular Truth of Hair Restoration.
Runner-up Intermediate Project
School: St. Joseph's Secondary School, Navan,
Student Names: Genevieve Dorrigan, Holly McKeigue, Emma Fitzsimons
Project Name: Tiny leaders on the pitch: a 4-week intervention to increase assertive play in 5–7-year-olds.
Best Junior Project
School: St Oliver’s Community College
Student Names: Dominik Savchenko, Daithi Dempsey, Tommy Kennedy
Project Name: How Does Geometry Influence the Structural Integrity of Construction?
