Westmeath robotics team surge to national finals in major boost for STEM
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Wilson’s Hospital School students along with their teachers are presented with the VEX IQ Teamwork Champions Awards by Kelley Keogh ((STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council), Antoinette Brennan (Broadband Officer, Laois County Council) and Dean Hodge (STEM Engagement Officer, Offaly County Council)Image 2 of 2
Students from St Finian’s College and Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar taking part in the Teamwork ChallengeWestmeath’s presence at this year’s VEX Robotics National Finals marks a dramatic surge in participation, and 10 teams from six schools in the county have qualified for the competition in Cork.
The finals, at Munster Technological University on February 24–26, will see 25 teams from across the four midlands counties – Westmeath, Laois, Longford and Offaly – compete for national honours and the chance to progress to the international stage.
For Westmeath, the story is one of remarkable growth. Just two schools from the county took part in the VEX Robotics programme last year. Fast forward 12 months, and that number has expanded to ten teams representing six different schools, all of whom successfully progressed through regional qualifiers to reach the national finals.
Teams from Coláiste Mhuire (CBS) Mullingar and St Finian’s College will compete in the Teamwork Challenge, while further county representation comes from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Marist College Athlone and Wilson’s Hospital School. At primary level, St Tola’s NS will fly the flag for the county.
Westmeath teams will feature across all three days of competition in both the VEX IQ and VEX V5 categories, underlining the depth of engagement with robotics and STEM education locally.
The national finals also carry the added incentive of potential qualification for the VEX International Finals in the United States. Last year, two midlands teams from Tullamore secured places at the global event in Texas, with Sacred Heart School’s team, ‘The STEMinists’, earning the prestigious Judges’ Award.
With Westmeath’s representation stronger than ever, hopes are high that the county could follow in those footsteps.
The VEX Robotics programme in the region is delivered by Westmeath County Council and Midlands Ireland through the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition programme, co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021–2027.
As the teams prepare to travel south next week, the scale of Westmeath’s growth in the competition stands as a significant endorsement of the county’s expanding commitment to STEM education – and a promising sign for the future of innovation in the region.