Moate team advance to final of Lego League Challenge
St Oliver Plunkett BNS, Moate, is celebrating the outstanding success of their FIRST LEGO League team, "Coral Kids" at the South Dublin Regional event held in the UCD Student Centre.
In their first-ever appearance in the competition, the team secured the Innovative Project Award and achieved an impressive second place overall, earning them a well-deserved spot in the All Ireland Finals.
The National Final of the Lego League Challenge is taking place in Dublin this Saturday, April 12.
The Coral Kids team, comprised of enthusiastic 5th class students, developed an educational video aimed at teaching children how to protect coral reefs while scuba diving. Their innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving skills shone throughout the competition, impressing judges and inspiring fellow participants.
Reflecting on the achievement, Orla Maher, Deputy Principal said: "It was an incredible day. This is our first year participating in the FIRST LEGO League competition, and we were absolutely thrilled to win the Innovation Project and secure a place in the All-Ireland Finals. The boys have worked tirelessly, and we couldn’t be prouder."
This remarkable achievement is a testament to the students’ dedication, creativity, and collaborative spirit.
Team Coral Kids were joined by their fellow classmates on the day, Team Carbons Kings. Both teams have worked incredibly hard on their projects.
Dr Rachel Farrell, Director of the UCD Centre for Cyber Resilience Education, highlighted the significance of the competition.
"The FIRST® LEGO® League is not just about building robots—it’s about building future-ready skills," she said. "Coding, teamwork, and problem-solving are at the heart of this challenge, mirroring the essential competencies needed in cybersecurity and digital resilience.
"By working together to design, test, and refine their solutions, students develop the critical thinking and collaborative mindset necessary to tackle complex, real-world challenges. At the UCD Centre for Cyber Resilience Education, we are proud to support initiatives that inspire the next generation to become innovators in STEM and cybersecurity."
In the competition, teams will use technical and collaborative skills to explore life beneath the ocean waves in one of the planet’s most complex ecosystems.
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to continue our support of this competition through Research Ireland’s Discover Programme as it strongly aligns with the programme’s aims of encouraging participation in STEM and providing further access routes.
"By challenging participants to explore the ocean and its ecosystems in creative and hands-on ways, this year’s competition will lead teams to think just like engineers and scientists and build real-world skills in STEM."
At the core of the initiative is a friendly contest, designed to fuel the enthusiasm of the participating students, organisers say. The teams of students and their coaches take on an exciting journey involving research, problem-solving, coding and engineering.
FIRST is an acronym for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,’ and FIRST LEGO League inspires young people to understand and shape the world they live in, in a more sustainable and inclusive way.
Irish STEM education experts CreativeHUT organise FIRST LEGO League in Ireland, and Chief Impact Officer, Ross Maguire says the fun team-challenge is a platform for students to discover STEM learning.
“Challenges are thoughtfully designed to promote collaboration, critical thinking, and experiential learning. Along with mastering coding and engineering, and scientific thinking, students acquire critical life skills like tenacity, teamwork, and communication”.
FIRST® LEGO® League Ireland is proudly supported by the Research Ireland Discover Programme and delivered by CreativeHUT Ireland. The programme also benefits from national sponsorship by Amazon.