Louth team claims robot game title at national LEGO League regional

A Louth Girl Guides team put the county on the STEM map after the Clogherhead Heads claimed the Robot Game title at the regional FIRST LEGO League tournament in Dublin City University.

On February 28, the halls of Dublin City University buzzed with the high-octane energy of Ireland's brightest young minds as team "conNÉCKt" from Lucan Guides triumphed as Regional Champions at the FIRST LEGO League tournament. Showcasing a masterful blend of technical prowess and creative problem-solving, the Lucan-based team captured the top spot, officially securing their place to represent the region at the prestigious Ireland National Final this March.

The winner’s podium celebrated a diverse array of talent, highlighting the next generation of Irish leaders in STEM. Clogherhead Heads dominated the arena with precision and speed to claim the title of Robot Game winners. The Fossil Finders (Lucan Guides) secured the Innovation Project Award for their visionary research, while Trim’s InGen (Macalla Guides) impressed judges with masterful engineering to take home the Robot Design Award. The An Daingean Diggers from Dingle embodied the true spirit of teamwork by winning the Core Values Award.

In total, 16 Irish Girl Guide teams from all over Ireland participated in this event which was sponsored and supported by the Irish Girl Guides and DCU.

FIRST® LEGO® League Ireland Sponsored by Amazon, 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. Joanne Reynolds, Community Engagement Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Ireland, says the program fosters innovation, creativity, and problem-solving from a young age:

“We’re proud to collaborate with FIRST® LEGO® League to inspire curiosity, teamwork, and a passion for learning that will shape the future of technology and beyond. At Amazon, we believe in fostering innovation, creativity, and problem-solving from a young age. Supporting FIRST® LEGO® League aligns with our commitment to empower the next generation of leaders and innovators. By investing in STEM education and providing opportunities for hands-on learning, we’re helping students develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving world.”

The programme is supported for the fifth year by the Research Ireland Discover Programme. Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland, says the initiative aligns strongly with their mission to widen participation in STEM.

“Teaching teamwork, design and programming skills, based around childhood LEGO building bricks is inspired. Science and technical skills can be fun and engaging, and the secret for educators is to find the fun and games, and the story-telling and puzzles, to awaken young people’s minds to the enjoyment and fascination of science”.

Curiosity and team spirit are the keys to success, says Ross Maguire, Chief Impact Officer at Creative Hut, which coordinates FIRST® LEGO® League in Ireland.

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“Teachers and all of us involved find it a joy to see how this initiative helps make STEM simpler and more inclusive. From brainstorming solutions to building models, the young people seamlessly experience STEM in action, and have real fun in the process.”

The top team from this year’s FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge will represent Ireland at the European FLL Championships in summer 2026.