Rathmore Grammar School has won the prize for Best Northern Ireland School at the 61st BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) which came to a close this weekend.
Meanwhile Rathmore pupil Eoin Rossney-Hyde took home the prize for Best Northern Ireland Project for his project at this year’s exhibition.
The announcement comes as 14 projects from eight schools in Northern Ireland participated in this year’s BTYSTE, making it among the highest number of entries that BT received for the exhibition in eight years.
The 61st exhibition is a particularly significant milestone for BT, as the organisation celebrates 25 years as custodian and organiser of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE). Since Dr. Tony Scott and the late Fr. Tom Burke created the YSTE in the 1960s, the exhibition has inspired many generations to look to STEM to improve the world around them. In the past 25 years, BT has introduced several initiatives, including several specific to Northern Ireland, that have evolved the exhibition even further.
These initiatives have included the introduction of a bursary for senior category winners into one of eight third level institutions in Ireland, through the Irish Universities Association. The BTYSTE has also become a partner of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Northern Ireland, allowing entrants to use their entry towards achieving the award, as well as an equivalent partner of The GAISCE President’s Award in the Republic of Ireland.
Another devopment has been the first BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp in 2010, which provides 30 BTYSTE participants with commercialisation and entrepreneurship skills for their future careers. BT has also evolved the event by introducing the Primary Science Fair, the first science exhibition of its kind for third to sixth class primary school students .
Finally, they have also introduced a travel and accommodation grant to help students who would need to travel considerable distances to compete at the BTYSTE, distributing £1.25million to schools across Ireland since 2006.
On Friday evening, sisters Ciara Murphy age 17, Saoirse Murphy age 15, and Laoise Murphy age 12 in fifth, third and first year respectively, from Presentation Secondary School Tralee in Kerry, were announced as the winners of the top prize with their project, ACT (Aid Care Treat): App-timising emergency response.
ACT is a medical assistance app designed to support emergency healthcare responses. It integrates crucial features to provide swift and effective aid during critical situations. This is the second year this project has been recognised at the exhibition having previously been awarded Runner-Up Group in 2024.
The 2025 BTYSTE winners are the 61st group of people to win the overall prize, and as this year’s BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year Award winners, take home £6,200. This year, for the first time ever, the overall BTYSTE winner, along with one senior project from each of the four remaining categories, will be awarded a trip to the World Expo, in Osaka, Japan. Held every five years, World Expo brings the world together to explore the future of industry, technology, and progress. Inspired by Ireland’s theme ‘Creativity Connects People,’ the winners will have the opportunity to create meaningful intercultural connections, experience cutting-edge science, and showcase their research on a global stage. The overall winner of BTYSTE 2025 will also represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Riga, Latvia this September.
Education Minister, Paul Givan, said: “Congratulations to the exceptional young people from Northern Ireland who were successful at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2025. This is a tremendous achievement and a well-deserved acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of those involved. Their innovative projects and commitment to solving complex problems reflect the remarkable talent and creativity nurtured within our schools.
This event highlights the critical importance of equipping our young people with STEM skills in a rapidly changing world. The exhibition winners are testament to the enthusiasm, innovation and depth of knowledge shown by our young people in Northern Ireland.”
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Regional Director for BT Business Northern Ireland, Paul Murnaghan said: ‘’It has been a fantastic week at the RDS in Dublin, and I would like to congratulate all the Northern Ireland finalists of this year’s exhibition, including Eoin Rossney-Hyde who was recognised as a category winner this evening.
The incredible, STEM focused ideas of this year’s finalists demonstrate how bright the future is for the sector. It is a particularly momentous year for all the BT team on this island, as we celebrate 25 years as custodian of this incredible event, and I would also like to thank my colleagues who volunteered this week and made the 2025 exhibition so special.”
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