Buncrana bots battle their way to All-Ireland Finals

Buncrana schools are celebrating outstanding success in VEX Robotics, with both Crana College and Scoil Íosagáin qualifying for the All-Ireland Finals, which will take place in Cork on February 24.

Crana College’s VEX Robotics team secured their place at the national finals for the second year running following an exceptional performance at the VEX Northwest Regional Robotics Competition, held at ATU Donegal on Monday, 19th January. Competing against schools from across the region, the team was named Overall Tournament Champion and also finished as Joint Tournament Winners alongside Abbey Vocational School, who also qualified for the finals in Cork. There, they will compete for the chance to represent Ireland at the prestigious VEX Global Finals in Texas.

Looking ahead to the final, Crana College Principal Kevin Cooley praised the students and staff involved, saying: “We are incredibly proud of the team and their teacher, Michael McGirr, for reaching the final and are very hopeful that they can go one step further this year and win the national tournament.”

Crana College also fielded a second team at the competition, which performed strongly throughout the day and progressed to the quarter-final stage, earning recognition for their determination, teamwork, and commitment.

Congratulations were extended by Donegal ETB, with Director of Schools Dr Martin Gormley presenting awards to the winning teams. The competition was organised by Gary Cullen and John Conaghan of the ATU Donegal Department of Computing.

Scoil Íosagáin is also celebrating after its 6th class VEX Robotics team qualified for the All-Ireland Finals following a strong showing at the regional finals. Competing against 32 schools, the pupils won the Teamwork Award and finished second overall.

Twelve pupils represented the primary school, taking on roles including management, drivers, loaders, technicians, and analysts. The pupils designed and operated their own robot in a highly competitive arena, demonstrating excellent cooperation, focus, and problem-solving skills throughout the event.

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For those unfamiliar, VEX Robotics is a global programme designed to inspire young minds in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) through hands-on robotics challenges. The competition encourages students to develop skills in coding, engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving, all while competing in a fun and dynamic environment.