Presentation Tralee students Nicole Fitzmaurice, Mairead Carroll and Aoibhinn Flaherty with their Anti-Ageing Station project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanSECOND-LEVEL school students from schools all over Kerry took STEM to the next level with over 100 projects at SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus 2026 on Wednesday.
Of the 103 projects exhibited at SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus2026, the top prize on the day, the SciFest Best Project Award,went to Jarlath Malachy Wruck from Meán Scoil an Leith-Triúighin Castlegregory for his project, Mapping the Invisible; creating an AI to profile dark matter halos from galaxy rotation curves.
The SciFest Runner Up Best Project Award went to Orna and Grace O’Dowd from Mercy Secondary School MounthawkTralee for their project, the Use of Mushrooms in Combating Climate Change as a Natural Bioremediator.
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.Jarlath, Orla and Grace will go on to participate in the SciFest National Final where they will compete for the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California, in May 2027.
Mercy Mounthawk students Grace O’Dowd and Orna O’Dowd with their ‘Use of Mushrooms in Combating Climate Change as a Natural Bioremediator’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanBrothers Ronan and Conor Finn from C.B.S. The Green in Tralee were awarded the prestigious EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award with their project based on a Data-Driven Digital Twin, which focused on the optimisation of decision making for smarter energy efficient home solutions.
Conor Finn, 3rd year student and Ronan Finn, 1st year student at C.B.S. Secondary School in Tralee. Winners of the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award with Síobhra Doyle, EirGrid Graduate Engineer at SciFest Regional Competition, MTU Kerry.As one of the 15 regional venues hosting a SciFest STEM fair, SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus saw more than 250 students from schools all over the region exhibit their projects at MTU Kerry Campus and put their knowledge of STEM to the test.
SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus co-ordinator Dr Eilish Broderick, Head of Biological and Pharmaceutical Science at MTU Kerry Campus said: “As SciFest celebrates its 20thanniversary, we continue to be inspired by the exceptional standard of projects that enter SciFest@MTU Kerry Campus. The standard of research undertaken by second-level students across Kerry showcases their strong passion and enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and maths. We are proud to be part of SciFest, an initiative that not only supports students in developing their STEM knowledge but also encourages them to stay curious and engaged with the world around them.”
CBS The Green student Krrish Pradeep with his project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanSciFest is an all-inclusive, all-island STEM initiative which fosters active, collaborative and inquiry-based learning among second-level students.
Now in its 20th year, SciFest continues to encourage young people to explore STEM through curiosity-led investigation, creativity and problem-solving. Scroll down for photos…
CBS The Green students Vlad Tarkan and Tyreek Lonergan at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk students Kyle Flaherty, Dominik Kozlowski and Philip Rzynski with their ‘Banana’s Influence’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk students Benedek Hernold-Csorba and Kai Seino with their project ‘Fractal Footprints: Mapping The Maths of Cities’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Presentation Tralee students Haniya Memon and Raheel Eldars with their ‘Adapted Learning’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
CBS The Green student Simba Rashe with his ‘Smart Safety System for the Visually Impaired’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí students Hannah O’Sullivan, Katie Falvey and Clodagh Kane with their ‘Sweet Or Salty’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí students Cadhla Ferris, Aoibhín Commane and Aoibhe Ferris with their ‘Shelf Life’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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CBS The Green student Tanatswu Gunda with his ‘Hyper Motion 212’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk student Ava O’Sullivan with her ‘The Influencer Impact’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk students Aisling Dillon and Moira Butler with their ‘Sea Savers’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí student Madeleine Lynch with her ‘Investigating The Effects of Vaping on Oral Health’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí student Muireann Scanlon with her ‘UV Light Vs Hydrogen Peroxide Mist’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk students Lauren Foley and Panna Hernold-Csorba with their project on Endometriosis at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Mercy Mounthawk student Aobhín O’Sullivan with her ‘Bridging The Gap’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Presentation Tralee students Zinnerh Jamil and Saberah Islam with their ‘The Confidence Effect’ project at the SciFest event at MTU’s Kerry North Campus on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Aoife Hobbert from Mercy Mounthawk Student at Scifest .Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD .
Culann Dowling from Mercy Mounthawk Student at Scifest .Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD .
Student sisters Orna and Grace O’Dowf from Mercy Mounthawk Sec School at Scifest .Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
