TU Dublin Blanchardstown Campus Hosts Intel Mini Scientist Competition
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Last week, CBS Primary School Ennis was crowned the overall winner of the 2025/2026 Intel Mini Scientist competition, triumphing over students from across Ireland at the highly anticipated Grand Final. The winning students – Aidan Hehir, Sam O’Neill, and Franky Giudici – impressed judges with their project “How does a catapult work?”, exploring kinetic and potential energy to analyse a catapult’s operation from energy storage to launch.
The Grand Final, hosted at the TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus and organised by the University’s Recruitment, Admissions and Participation team, brought together the top 70 projects from more than 5,000 students across 75 schools and 15 counties. From chemical cabbages to AI chatbots, the finalists showcased creativity, teamwork, and scientific curiosity in abundance.
The Intel Mini Scientist competition, now in its 19th year, provides 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade students with hands-on, project-based learning experiences that mirror real scientific investigation. Intel employees visited schools nationwide to select the strongest projects for the Grand Final, culminating a competition that started in September 2025.
CBS Primary School Ennis received their award from Sarah Sexton, Intel Public Affairs Director, and Kenny McNamee, Senior Principal Engineer at Intel. The school also received a €1,000 grant from Intel.
Sarah Sexton praised the event: “It was fantastic to once again see thousands of students participating in the Intel Mini Scientist and their continued commitment to such a high standard of projects. The competition is a great way to get children excited about science and technology while developing critical skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and creative thinking.”
Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder & CEO and Head Judge, added, “The diverse range of projects presented by today’s finalists has been really impressive. From renewable energy to artificial intelligence, the depth of thinking and teamwork reflects the remarkable talent and creativity of these students.”
2025/2026 Intel Mini Scientist Competition Winners
Grand Final Overall Winner
- CBS Primary School Ennis – How does a catapult work?
Runner-up Awards
- Presentation Girls School, Maynooth – Alternative batteries
- Tubberclare N.S. – A boat for all
- Scoil Thomais, Castleknock – Ocean acidification
- Scoil Ui Riada, Kilcock – No power, no problem
- Caragh N.S. – Dental Health
- Dunboyne Senior Primary School – Scolly, the AI Chatbot
Special Awards
- Best Communication Award: Scoil Mochua, Celbridge – Chemistry of Colour
- Sustainability Award: Scoil Mhuire N.S., Lucan – Milk Plastic
- Best Project Book Award: St. Mochta’s N.S., Clonsilla – Air and Water Pressure
- Best Visual Display Award: St. Patrick’s N.S., Castleknock – Does the 5-second rule mean anything?
- Most Innovative Award: Wicklow Montessori Primary School – UV Uprising
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2026 Mini Scientist Grand Final. To see more of the fun and behind-the-scenes activities, visit the Intel Ireland flickr.