Mayo student among prize winners at National Scratch Coding Competition
Niall McNamara (right) receiving his award from judge Brian Harkin of Lero at the Scratch finals at the University of Limerick. Pic: Brian Arthur
A South Mayo student was to the fore at the annual National Scratch Coding Competition, organised by Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software and the Irish Computer Society.
Niall McNamara from Taugheen National School in Claremorris was among the prize winners at the 2024 Scratch Finals which took place at the University of Limerick on Wednesday.
Niall was a category winner for his game, Balloon Popper, which allowed players to burst balloons using an arrow.
Holly Wright, a fifth-year student of Bremore Educate Together Secondary School Balbriggan, County Dublin was the overall winner at the national finals of the annual competition, now in its 14th year, where Ireland’s best young coders from primary and post-primary schools from all over Ireland presented their project to the competition judges.
Lero’s Education and Public Engagement Manager, Dr Clare McInerney, said Lero’s involvement in the Scratch competition is crucial for a critical reason: “Software is everywhere, it is all around us and it has never been so important that children and young people learn not just how to use it but also how it works. At Lero, we support software skills at every stage of education. It is part of our mission to foster and grow coding skills and computational thinking among younger children, teens, and those far older.
“What we witness at the culmination of the National Scratch Competition Finals is the payoff of months of hard graft by the contestants, their teachers and families – and let me tell you – it’s awe-inspiring. Their projects are an amazing combination of science, technology, imagination and ingenuity – showing off just how much fun coding can be. It leaves me wondering what these finalists will do next?” she added.
Dr McInerney said this year, there were more than 398 entries with 63% male and 36% female participants.
“We congratulate Holly and all today’s finalists and those who supported them on their journey. Our panel of 15 judges were so impressed by the quality and originality of the projects that some have asked to come back next year,” she added.
