Phenomenal win for Laois as Midlands Ireland celebrated at national STEM awards

Midlands Ireland's excellent work with STEM engagement in the region was recognised at two national awards ceremonies on Thursday, 27 November.

Midlands Ireland, led by Laois County Council in collaboration with Longford County Council, Offaly County Council and Westmeath County Council, was named as a winner at this year’s Excellence in Local Government Awards which celebrated outstanding projects delivered in 2025.

These awards, hosted by Chambers Ireland and sponsored by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, honour the exceptional work carried out by Local Authorities across the country.

Midlands Ireland was the winner of the Local Authority Innovation category for the Driving STEM in the Midlands Initiative.

(L-R) Ian Talbot, Siobhán Grealy, Former Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Christine Collins, Kieran O’Donnell TD, Cllr Barry Walsh, Antoinette Brennan, Tomás Mulcahy, Kelley Keogh, Angela McEvoy, Seanie Morris, and Ray Bell at the Excellence in Local Government Awards (Photo courtesy of Chambers Ireland)

Laois County Council was also shortlisted on the night in the following categories: Climate Change for Portlaoise: Ireland’s First Low Carbon Town; Health & Wellbeing for the Live Well Health and Wellbeing Expo; Local Authority Innovation for MyPay’s Robotic Process Automation - Superannuation Starters Project; and the Municipal District Initiative for Refurbishment of the People’s Park, Portarlington.

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Midlands Ireland were also recognised earlier in the day at the #OurEUStory Awards by Access Europe.

The #OurEUStory competition required entries to be based on a video presentation. In their presentation, Midlands Ireland highlighted how their EU funded project, 'Driving STEM in the Midlands', has benefitted communities in the Midlands in promoting STEM participation and retention for a sustainable future in technology and digitalisation.

(L-R) Seanie Morris, Antoinette Brennan, Kelley Keogh, Cllr Barry Walsh, and Christine Collins at the #OurEUStory awards

The work of Laois County Council's STEM Engagement Officer Seanie Morris was highlighted in the video, as well as Siobhán Grealy of Longford County Council, Dean Hodge from Offaly County Council, and Westmeath County Council's Kelly Keogh.

Seanie Morris also gave in-depth presentation on how Midlands Ireland was actively promoting STEM engagement in Laois at the November meeting of Laois County Council. In that presentation, he spoke about the phenomenal increase in the numbers of Laois children participating in STEM programmes and potential future initiatives involving older people in the community. 

Their video was awarded second place in the #OurEUStory competition for excellence in communicating the impact of EU funding on Midlands Ireland and its community.

Commenting on the success of Midlands Ireland at the awards, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Barry Walsh said: “The recognition Midlands Ireland has received is a proud moment for Laois County Council. It demonstrates the strength of our vision and the dedication of our teams to deliver projects that not only meet local needs but set a benchmark for excellence nationally.”

Adding to this, Angela McEvoy, Director of Services at Laois County Council, said: “This recognition is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in the Midlands. We are proud to play a role in creating opportunities that inspire young people to pursue STEM pathways and make STEM accessible and exciting for all. I’d like to thank our fantastic STEM Engagement Officers and the teams in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath for their dedication in inspiring the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.”