Five Carlow primary schools win national STEM awards
Stock image of schoolchildren in labcoats from iStock
Five primary schools in County Carlow have been recognised for excellence in science, technology, engineering and maths education, receiving Research Ireland Curious Minds Awards for 2026.
The awards, announced on 15 June by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD, were presented to Bishop Foley School on Station Road, Leighlinbridge NS, Scoil Náisiúnta Molaise, Scoil Phádraig Rathoe in Rathoe, and S.N. Naomh Fhiach in Graiguecullen.
Four of the five schools - Bishop Foley School, Leighlinbridge NS, Scoil Náisiúnta Molaise and Scoil Phádraig Rathoe - received Gold Awards, the second of three award tiers. S.N. Naomh Fhiach received a Silver Award. Carlow schools were among 337 nationally to be recognised this year.
Funded by Research Ireland, the Curious Minds Awards programme recognises schools that adopt hands-on, inquiry-based approaches to STEM learning. Students are encouraged to ask questions, test ideas and apply their learning through practical investigations and real-world challenges, covering topics including biodiversity, coding, design-and-make projects and engineering challenges.
Minister Lawless said the awards highlighted not just what children learn but how they learn. “Through Curious Minds, schools across Ireland are helping young people to ask questions, explore ideas, and develop the confidence to experiment and problem-solve,” he said, paying tribute to the teachers and school leaders whose dedication was “inspiring the next generation to engage with STEM in creative and meaningful ways”.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland, said the programme was built on the belief that every child is born curious and that every teacher can nurture that curiosity. “By supporting teachers and embedding these curiosity-centred approaches in everyday learning, the programme is making a real difference in helping to develop skills that will benefit students both now and into the future,” he said.
To mark the announcement, an awards ceremony was held online in hundreds of classrooms across the country, hosted by TV presenters Gráinne Bleasdale and Phil Smyth.
Schools apply for one of three award tiers: Silver, for schools beginning their STEM journey with a minimum of two classes involved; Gold, for schools further along the journey with at least half of all classes participating; and Platinum, for schools that have already achieved Gold and wish to further embed STEM into their school culture.
