Unusual detail at Michael Gaine's funeral amid tears as murder suspect stays away
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24 Feb 2026
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24 Feb 2026
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Foróige Castlebar - Regional Champions - South Leitrim NYP - Foróige South Leitrim NYP - Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
The atmosphere in Castlebar last week was electric as the next generation of Irish innovators from Foróige showcased their brilliance at the First Lego League Regional Final with Carrick-on-Shannon Neighbourhood Youth Project (NYP) bagging the prestigious champion's award through a masterful display of technical skill and creative problem-solving.
Their victory secures them a coveted spot at the Ireland National Final this March, where they will lead the charge for the region on the national stage.
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The winner’s podium reflected an incredible breadth of talent across the West and Northwest, with teams exhibiting world-class ingenuity and spirit including the DECK UBU Seniors from Donegal Town who earned the Innovation Project Award for their visionary solutions.
This was the second Foróige Regional Final, featuring 13 teams and a total of 128 young participants, who represented Foróige's commitment to creativity and STEM. The teams were proudly sponsored by MSLETB and the Local Youth Partnership Project.
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The competition is sponsored by Amazon and is one of Ireland’s most successful and long-running STEM education programmes. Now celebrating its 10th year in Ireland, more than 35,000 young people have taken part since the programme first launched here.
Its hands-on learning approach not only builds technical skills but also helps young people use technology meaningfully, encouraging independent thinking, clearer communication, and creative problem-solving rooted in real-world challenges.
Teams, supported by an adult coach, design and build Lego robots while tackling themed missions. Using coding, engineering skills, and plenty of teamwork, they explore ideas that could shape the future.
This year’s theme, Unearthed, invites teams to dig into the past - uncovering hidden treasures, mysterious artefacts, and forgotten stories.
Amazon is the national sponsor of the competition and the programme is supported for the fifth year by the Research Ireland Discover Programme.
The top team from this year’s First Lego League Challenge will represent Ireland at the European FLL Championships in summer 2026.
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