St Mary’s National School wins Engineers Ireland STEPS Young Engineer Award 2024

Students from St Mary’s National School, Collinstown, have been honoured with Engineers Ireland’s Young Engineers Award for their innovative project, the ‘Lake Cleaner 10,000’. eFlow proudly sponsored all the prizes for the winning teams. The competition, now in its sixth year, is held nationwide for primary schools, aiming to inspire third- and fourth-class students and their teachers to explore engineering. Participants are tasked with creating an engineering project that addresses a local community challenge, aiming to make a positive impact. 

The award-winning team, called ‘The Famous Five’, includes Lyra Allen, Seán Murtagh, Annabelle Pawluk, Danny Bartley, and Daniel Conaty. Their winning project, the ‘Lake Cleaner 10,000’, is a boat concept designed to clean Lough Lene by removing algae and debris. It features an integrated device with a filter and pipes to extract waste from the water, helping to protect the lake’s biodiversity and water quality. The students from St Mary’s National School, Collinstown faced tough competition which included over 10,500 participants and 710 projects. 

In this competition, six prizes were awarded, including those for winners, runners-up, and highly commended teams, all sponsored by eFlow. Each team member received a trophy, medals, and certificates. Additionally, the winning team was awarded a visit from a STEM performer for a show at their school. All the finalists also received sustainable toys.

The runners-up in this year’s competition were students from Bushypark National School in Galway, with Highly Commended awards going to Carnaross National School in Meath, Holy Family Senior National School in Swords, Dublin, Ardfert Central National School in Kerry, and Kilcolgan Educate Together National School in Galway. 

The virtual awards ceremony took place on Engineers Ireland’s YouTube Channel on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024. 

Colin O’Toole, Director of Operations at eFlow, said, “We are thrilled to support the Engineers Ireland STEPS programme and promote STEM education. It’s vital to inspire and engage the next generation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to drive innovation and progress in our communities.” 

Róisín Barton-Murray, eFlow Public Information Manager, said, “Transport Infrastructure Ireland are delighted to support primary school children endeavours in their discovery of more sustainable options for the future.” 

Past winners of the STEPS Young Engineers Award have included projects focused on sustainability and accessibility, such as using drones to combat ash dieback disease, creating playgrounds with wheelchair-accessible structures, and designing a car powered by solar and rain energy to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Commenting on the students’ win, Damien Owens, Director General of Engineers Ireland, said: “This fantastic achievement demonstrates the incredible innovation that is present in our young people. The Young Engineers Award encourages and celebrates that innovation. Water quality is not only an Irish issue, but a global one. Ensuring sufficient and sustainable water supply for drinking and domestic use, to supporting businesses, and providing for recreation, all while protecting biodiversity, is a challenge that we will require ingenuity to address. These students at St Mary’s National School, Collinstown, and all of those who entered this competition around the country are congratulated for their hard work and dedication.”