VEX IQ Robotics Competition

Students from St Finian’s College and Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar taking part in the Teamwork Challenge.

Westmeath hosts first VEX IQ robotics regional finals

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Students from St Finian’s College and Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar taking part in the Teamwork Challenge.

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Kelley Keogh (STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council) with Cllr Aengus O’Rourke and Ike the Robot at the VEX IQ Westmeath regional finals.

VEX IQ Robotics Competition

Published: Tue 3 Feb 2026, 4:18 PM

There was a buzz at Athlone Community College on January 14 as more than 100 students and teachers from post-primary schools across Westmeath gathered for the county’s VEX IQ Robotics regional finals.

The day-long event marked the first official VEX IQ regional finals to be held in Westmeath and showcased the growing interest in robotics and STEM education among midlands schools.

Students from a range of schools took part in the competition, including participants from St Finian’s College and Coláiste Mhuire, both in Mullingar.

Athlone Community College provided the venue for the finals, with teams competing throughout the day in a series of challenges that tested their design, programming and problem-solving skills.

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition has been gaining momentum across the midlands in recent years. What began as an initiative of Offaly County Council has since expanded to Laois, Longford and Westmeath, and local authorities are supporting the programme through funding from the EU Just Transition Fund.

The fund has enabled the purchase of robotics equipment for schools across the region, helping to introduce students to robotics and coding and to encourage interest in future careers in science, technology and engineering.