Young Scientist competition showcases best and brightest projects by Limerick students

THIRTY three projects from eleven Limerick schools that have qualified for the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE) 2025 are battling it out for the winning title.

The exhibition is taking place at the RDS from January 7 to January 10 and secondary school students from across Limerick are hoping to follow in the footsteps of the 2024 winner, Sean O'Sullivan from Colaiste Chiarain, Croom.

The eleven schools representing Limerick on the national stage are Coláiste Iósaef, Kilmallock (2), Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom (6), Coláiste Nano Nagle, Limerick city (3), Castletroy College (5), Desmond College, Newcastle West (8), Villiers Secondary School, Limerick city (3), Limerick City East Secondary School (1), Ardscoil Rís, Limerick city (2), Scoil Pól, Kilfinane (1), Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh, Limerick city (1) and Mungret Community College (1.)

Health & Wellbeing is the strongest category for Limerick schools, accounting for almost one in three projects (10.) Technology and Social & Behavioural Sciences are jointly the second most popular (7 each.)

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Stripe, the programmable financial services company with dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, was appointed as the new title sponsor of the STEM exhibition last May. Former Castletroy College students and successful entrepreneurs Patrick and John Collison founded Stripe in 2010.

Following a competitive selection process, Stripe secured the title sponsorship thanks to its shared passion with YSTE and commitment to promoting STEM education in Ireland — values exemplified by co-founder Patrick Collison who won the overall YSTE title in 2005 and his brother John, who also won a category award at the exhibition.

Professor Pat Guiry, Chairperson of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Board, said: “We are confident that Stripe will be exceptional partners in the years ahead - not only given Stripe’s global reputation as a leader in tech innovation, but also given its strong connection to YSTE through Patrick and John Collison, who are both past participants in the competition, with Patrick taking home the overall top prize in 2005.”

There are over 200 prizes and a prize fund of well over €50,000 to be won. These prizes are awarded across all five categories and age groups, including the overall Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year Award, worth €7,500, which will see the winners go on to represent Ireland at the prestigious European Union Contest for Young Scientists.

Speed Fibre Group, was unveiled as the Strategic Connectivity Partner for the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. As part of the partnership, Speed Fibre Group is also sponsoring the new Speed Fibre Group Connected Horizons Award. Open to all categories and age groups, the prize will be presented to a project that reflects the theme of connection or collaboration through innovation, whether digital, social, environmental, or scientific in nature.

The 2024 Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition winner, Seán O’Sullivan, also placed second at the 2024 EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Katowice, Poland.

The Pallaskenry native was recognised by the EUCYS judging panel for his YSTE winning project, titled VerifyMe: A new approach to authorship attribution in the post-ChatGPT era. He was also awarded the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Prize.

At the EUCYS, Seán competed against 250 young scientists aged between 14 and 20 from nearly 40 countries in the EU, as well as guest projects from the United States and beyond.