Two students from St. Jarlath’s College in Tuam have been awarded the prestigious EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award after showcasing their project at the SciFest@College 2026 regional competition at Atlantic Technological University in Galway.
Students from schools across Galway and neighbouring counties gathered with their teachers and fellow students to compete in the annual STEM fair exhibiting innovative projects spanning health, physics, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
Second year students Annie Finnegan and Sarah Jomish impressed judges with their project, ‘Tote-ally not plastic’, highlighting how alternative materials such as agar agar, gelatin and glycerin can be used to make tote bags to reduce plastic waste.
The runner-up award was granted to Adonis Kleckovos, Rudransh Vyas and Ethan Furey, second year students at St. Mary’s College for their project ‘Electric footsteps reducing carbon footprints’ which focused on using piezoelectric and piezoscience to create green electricity in high footfall areas in Ireland.
SciFest@College is a nationwide series of STEM fairs for second-level students, held across 16 regional colleges across Ireland.
Now celebrating its twentieth year, SciFest continues to enable students to showcase their creativity and talents in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
As a long-standing SciFest partner, EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland electricity system, presents the Cleaner Climate Award to recognise the vital role that young people play in building a more sustainable future.
The award honours a project that demonstrates both technical excellence and a meaningful contribution to energy and environmental sustainability.
Orlaith Diamond, Head of Sustainability at EirGrid, congratulated the winners on their successful projects,
“For twenty years SciFest has been a driving force in sparking curiosity and innovation among second level students, and we are incredibly proud to continue supporting this important initiative.”
“As we continue to work towards the Government target of ensuring eighty percent of Ireland’s electricity comes from renewable sources, we recognise that nurturing the next generation of problem solvers and innovators is essential to building a clean, resilient energy system. ”
“EirGrid is at the forefront of delivering Ireland’s climate ambitions, and the enthusiasm shown by the students at ATU Galway today reflects a growing passion for environmental and renewable energy solutions.”
“Congratulations to Annie and Sarah, as well as Adonis, Rudransh and Ethan on their awards.”
