Four students from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty Co Cork were announced as the overall winners of the 2026 Certified Irish Angus School’s Competition at an awards ceremony in Croke Park on Friday 6 March.

Students Lucy Kirby, Ciara O’Driscoll, Niamh O’Sullivan and Ellen O’Neill wowed judges of the competition with their creation of a consumer education tool. The students were tasked with researching the topic “Increasing awareness of the Certified Irish Angus brand” throughout the experience.

With the four students coming from farming backgrounds, they leaned on their existing knowledge and brought great determination and creativity to their project.

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Speaking about the winning students, Charles Smith, general manager of Certified Irish Angus, said they have demonstrated ‘remarkable talent and limitless potential’.

“Their passion for the sector, strong farming ability and engaging personalities set them apart from the beginning. The platform they created to help consumers better understand the Certified Irish Angus brand, and the value of the Angus breed for efficiency on Irish farms showcased real understanding and innovation. Their approach highlights how new ideas and fresh perspectives can help to shape the next generation of Irish agriculture,”says Charles.

Runners up

The runners up in the 2026 competition were students Jack O'Meara, Moya Guinan, Joseph McLoughney and Ben Younge from St Brendan's Community School, Birr, Co Offaly. The students researched the theme “Optimising Sustainable Animal Nutrition for Better Angus Beef Cattle”.