#ThinkLanguages Champion Team
of the Year Announced
#ThinkLanguages National Final
Ennistymon Community School crowned #ThinkLanguages 2025 Champion Team of the Year!
The national final of the #ThinkLanguages Champion Team of the Year competition took place today at the Clock Tower in the Department of Education and Youth today, where six Transition Year students from Ennistymon Community School were crowned winners, taking home the title as well as an amazing prize of a trip to Brussels. Chief Inspector at the Department of Education and Youth, Yvonne Keating and Director of Post-Primary Languages Ireland Karen Ruddock attended the final to congratulate the finalists – Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone; Ennistymon Community School, Clare; and St. Mark’s Community School, Tallaght – and present this year’s award. The national award recognises the contribution of students to the promotion of the many personal, professional and social benefits of foreign language skills during #ThinkLanguages Week.
Euronews Anchor Méabh McMahon with students L-R: Ryan Benn, Antoni Puton, Alan Szczucki, Ava Singleton, Amelie Towill.
Commenting on the significance of the #ThinkLanguages final, Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton noted, “#ThinkLanguages highlights the vital role languages play in creating inclusive, connected, and opportunity‑rich futures for young people. I commend all the students, teachers, and partners involved in the initiative. Language learning fosters understanding, empathy, and global citizenship—qualities clearly demonstrated by today’s finalists. Congratulations to them all, especially the winning team from Ennistymon Community School, and may they continue to champion languages in their studies and future careers.
The final was also attended by Méabh McMahon, Euronews journalist, broadcaster and multilinguist, as a guest speaker, inspiring students with insights into the global impact of multilingualism.
The #ThinkLanguages Champion of Team of the Year competition runs alongside the annual national #ThinkLanguages festival, which was celebrated by over 21,000 TY students in over 240 schools across Ireland in November 2025. The student-led celebration of languages and cultures brings to life the many benefits of foreign language skills with each participating school creating an impressive line-up of fun activities such as language-based workshops, insightful talks, music, dance, film and much more.
To enter the competition, Champion Teams created a short, engaging vlog of their week, highlighting their #ThinkLanguages Week experience. The standard of entries from around the country was extremely high in 2025, with the judges having a difficult time choosing three finalists.
Speaking about the event, Karen Ruddock said: “The #ThinkLanguages Champion Team Final showcases huge creativity, teamwork, and passion for languages among students across Ireland. These young people are not only embracing multilingualism but also demonstrating skills that will open doors to global opportunities. At PPLI, we believe that it is important to showcase activities that celebrate language learning and empower students to experience a wider world.”
As well as taking home the winning trophy, the Champion Team from Ennistymon Community School will have the opportunity to experience what a career with languages could look like as part of their prize, thanks to the Department of Foreign Affairs and its ‘A Career for EU Strategy’. This is the third year they have supported the competition in recognition of the importance of multilingual Irish representation in Europe. The winning team will visit the heart of Europe, Brussels, to see a multitude of languages in action at European institutions, learning all about what a career in the EU looks like, including day-to-day life in one of Europe’s most multicultural cities.
Running alongside the Champion Team Competition was the #ThinkLanguages Individual Poster Competition, which invited Transition Year students nationwide to design creative posters celebrating one of the key themes of #ThinkLanguages Week – ‘Think Global Opportunities’. It was the first year of the competition, with the finalists’ designs displayed on the day. Shortlisted students came from Loreto College, Cavan; Our Lady of Lourdes, New Ross; and Coláiste Íosagáin, Booterstown with Jewell Belleno from Our Lady of Lourdes Wexford announced as the winner on the day.
Save the Date!
Dates for #ThinkLanguages Week 2026 were also announced at today’s proceedings, with the festival of languages and cultures set to take place from 16-20 November 2026. Be sure to follow us on social media for updates over the coming months.