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Southern Regional College's Higher Education Football team have been crowned College University Football Association of Ireland Plate champions after a dramatic 2-1 victory over ATU Galway in the CUFAI final at Athlone Town Stadium on Thursday last 19 March.
The Newry-based college's side produced a memorable performance in what proved to be a tense and eventful final. Having fallen short at the final in 2025, the SRC squad returned determined to go one better this time around.
The first half offered little in the way of goals, ending 0-0 following a standout save from the SRC goalie. The second half, however, proved to be a different story entirely. SRC broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute through Aaron Downey, only for the match to take a dramatic turn when the SRC goalie was shown a red card, leaving the team with ten men.
With a player short, Ross Watson stepped up to cover both centre back and goals. Despite the setback, SRC continued to press and create opportunities, though they were unable to add to their lead. ATU Galway capitalised on the situation, drawing level in the 91st minute and pushing the final towards what looked like a penalty shootout.
It was SRC striker Dominik Piotrowski who had the final say, however, converting a chance in the 95th minute to seal a 2-1 victory and claim the CUFAI Plate title for Southern Regional College.
SRC football manager Rory McGreevy paid tribute to his players following the final whistle. "After last year's final disappointment, the SRC HE Football team showed great determination to win the game in the dying seconds to lift the CUFAI Challenge Plate. I am extremely proud of all the work and dedication they put in to win the match and all the effort they have put in the last few years to help establish this team."
Lee Campbell, Principal and CEO of Southern Regional College, also offered her congratulations. "Congratulations to our Higher Education Football team who secured the CUFAI Plate title, in what was a thrilling match final. This is a fantastic achievement for the team, and each player should be incredibly proud of their success. A special word of thanks must also go to the dedicated SRC coaching and support staff, whose commitment, guidance, and hard work behind the scenes have been instrumental in this accomplishment. This success is a true reflection of the collective effort, teamwork, and determination shown by everyone involved."
The full final is available to watch back on the CUFAI YouTube channel at www.youtube.com
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Pupils from 13 primary and secondary schools across the Newry, Mourne and Down Council district have taken part in this year's Environmental Youth Speak competition, with two overall winners from Camlough and Kilkeel crowned on the day.
The event, organised by the Council's Sustainability section, was compered by Council Chairperson, Councillor Philip Campbell, and drew competitors who had been pre-selected from more than 40 online video submissions received from schools across the area.
Among those competing in the Junior section were Luke Morgan from St Ronan's Primary School, Newry and Treasa McCoy from St Clare's Abbey Primary School, Newry, while the Senior section included Esther Richard from St Mary's High School, Newry and Emma Rae Brothers from Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry.
Primary school pupils this year spoke on the topic "Where would we bee without pollinators", while secondary school pupils addressed "How the United Nations Sustainable Development goals are important to me."
After deliberation, the judges selected Charlotte Magee from St Malachy's Primary School, Camlough as Junior Champion, and Conor Rooney-Davis from St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel as Senior Champion.
Councillor Campbell said it was a pleasure to listen to all the speeches, with pupils presenting with confidence and doing themselves and their respective schools proud.
"I have learnt so much from you all," said Cllr Campbell. "From the importance of pollinators for our ecosystem and the role bees play, to the relevance of the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals and how they provide us with a pathway to end poverty, protect the environment and ensure prosperity for all."
Cllr Campbell added: "Everybody who took part in the competition is a winner for making it this far. Huge congratulations to our overall winners in the Junior and Senior section, Charlotte and Conor."
Charlotte and Conor each received a trophy, a certificate and a £100 voucher. All other pupils who took part received a commemorative certificate and a £25 voucher.
The full list of Junior section competitors was Theo Macauley, All Children's Integrated Primary School, Newcastle; Darcy O'Hare, St Peter's Primary School, Cloughreagh, Bessbrook; Luke Morgan, St Ronan's Primary School, Newry; Hugh McGrillen, Holy Cross Primary School, Attical; Charlotte Magee, St Malachy's Primary School, Camlough; Treasa McCoy, St Clare's Abbey Primary School, Newry; Ava Mackin, Carrick Primary School, Burren and Cliona Mageean, St Patrick's Primary School, Legamaddy.
The Senior section competitors were Esther Richard, St Mary's High School, Newry; Conor Rooney-Davis, St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel; Kayla Hanna, Kilkeel High School; Maella McCamphill, Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch and Emma Rae Brothers, Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry.
The competition was judged by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council's Director of Sustainability, Mr Eamonn Keaveney, Assistant Director Conor Sage and Nichola Hughes, Director of Sustainability NI.
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Southern Regional College's Estates team has been named Workplace and Estates Team of the Year at the 2026 Facilities Management Awards in Dublin, seeing off competition from some of the biggest organisations on the island of Ireland.
The team finished ahead of a strong field that included PayPal, NIE Networks and Maynooth University, as well as Macfar Property Management, Henderson Group Property, Hanley Energy, Casey Kennedy Estate Agents and the Reactive Maintenance Team.
The team is responsible for managing eight campus sites across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council areas. Four of the sites are situated in Newry city. Over the past year they have managed an annual budget of £7.8 million, delivering services within 1% of that allocation. Their responsibilities also include supporting the College's flagship Newry Innovation Centre, with construction for that project started this week.
Sustainability has been a significant focus for the team. Energy efficiency upgrades have resulted in a 23% reduction in scope 1 emissions compared to the 2016/17 baseline, while a 10,500m2 rewilding programme has been launched to restore natural habitats and enhance biodiversity.
A notable aspect of the team's achievements is that much of the work has been delivered without additional project funding, instead drawing on existing in-house expertise. The team developed a Caretaker Digital Logbook, a mobile app used to manage estate inspections, and initiated a Digital Shadow project which integrates multiple data sources into a single user interface, providing analysis and insights for both estates staff and external maintenance contractors.
Beyond their own campuses, the team has also contributed to regional collaboration groups and provided expertise on external projects covering digital construction, sustainability and asset management.
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, said: "This award represents the professionalism, innovation and sheer commitment of our Estates Team. They have not only delivered exceptional services across all our campuses, but have done so while driving real change, embracing digital transformation, improving sustainability, and consistently finding smarter ways to work."
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Six students from Southern Regional College have won the Northern Ireland Champions National Cup at the STEM Racing Car UK Finals. They will now represent Northern Ireland at the Aramco STEM World Finals in Singapore this October.
The UK Finals took place at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham from 24 to 26 March 2026, drawing together the top student engineering teams from across the UK. The Southern Regional College team, known as SCAR, came out on top in a competition backed by Formula One and widely regarded as one of the key talent pipelines for the motorsport and engineering industries. The world finals are scheduled to take place the weekend before the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.
The winning team is made up of Shea Smith (19) from Newry, Chloe O'Hare (18) from Hilltown, Sophie Houston (18) from Dromore, Ellie Magee (20) from Warrenpoint, Harry Danks (18) from Kilkeel and James McMullen (18) from Armagh. Each of them took on a specialist role within the team, designing, building and racing a miniature Formula 1 car from concept to the racetrack. All six are studying an Engineering Level 3 Extended Diploma at the College's Newry campus.
Work on their entry began last September. Over several months, the students developed skills well beyond their standard curriculum, covering Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis, Computer Aided Manufacturing platforms, project management, financial forecasting and budgeting.
Their ability to secure sponsorship also proved important in funding their journey to both the UK Finals and the upcoming World Finals. Sponsors included Re-Gen, Used Cars NI, Murray Motorsport, The Exact Group, SMD Methods, MatLab, Ansys Simulation Software, Precision Mechanical Estimating, Southern Regional College and STEM Racing UK.
Engineering lecturer Seán MacDiarmada said: "The Champions of NI Cup is reflective of the effort students have put in, remaining to late hours in the College on a number of evenings to develop their entry. The qualification to compete in Singapore is a once in a lifetime opportunity, putting them in the spotlight amongst the most promising young engineers in the world with Formula One team talent spotters scrutinising and judging their work. This puts them in poll position to be recruited into positions and careers that exist at the pinnacle of engineering."
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, added: "This is an extraordinary accomplishment for our students and a proud moment for the College. Their success reflects not only their talent and determination, but also the strength of STEM education and industry collaboration at Southern Regional College. We are incredibly proud of Team SCAR and look forward to supporting them as they represent Northern Ireland on the world stage in Singapore. They are outstanding ambassadors for the College and an inspiration to future students considering careers in engineering and innovation."
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Hospitality and Professional Cookery students from Southern Regional College have qualified for the 2026 Generation Chef grand final after competing in a regional heat at the College's Newry campus, the venue for the Northern Ireland final at the end of April.
The regional heat, held at the end of March, saw two student teams put through their paces in both kitchen and front of house settings, with a panel of industry judges assessing their performance throughout. Among those on the judging panel were Michelin-starred chef Danni Barry and Gerard McClelland, General Manager of the Maghera Inn.
Danni Barry focused her assessment on communication within the kitchen and between the kitchen and front of house teams, as well as the thinking behind menu choices and how the students performed under pressure. Gerard McClelland concentrated on the front of house operation, looking closely at customer interaction and the overall standard of table presentation.
After a closely contested competition, the winning team of Eva Newell (18) from Kilkeel, Leon Ruddy (18) from Bleary and Katie Gray (17) from Collone, Armagh secured their place in the Northern Ireland final. They narrowly edged out a competing team of Lubo Mulkearns (17) from Jonesborough, Simona Nagrodskyte (18) from Silverbridge and Olivia Kaminska (16) from Newry, with judges commending both teams for their professionalism and teamwork.
Eva Newell said after the event: "Today's experience was challenging but really enjoyable. I'm looking forward to pushing myself further in the grand final and seeing how far we can go."
Leon Ruddy added: "I'm absolutely delighted to be representing SRC in the Generation Chef competition. We're expecting strong competition from other colleges, and it's going to be an amazing experience."
Michelle Moore, Curriculum Area Manager at Southern Regional College, said: "Generation Chef is an excellent competition that provides aspiring chefs and front-of-house students across all six further education colleges in Northern Ireland with a valuable platform to showcase their talent, creativity, and professionalism. These events are made possible through the continued dedication and support of our Culinary Arts Lecturers, Lynette and Keith, and our Hospitality Lecturer, Seamus."
She added: "Last year, we were exceptionally proud of our staff and students at SRC when we were crowned the Northern Ireland Final winners of Generation Chef. This year, we are delighted to be hosting the NI Final on 30 April, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and guests to what promises to be another outstanding event, with student prizes sponsored by Henderson Foodservice, TMR Hotels, and Hastings Hotels."
The Generation Chef competition is supported by Northern Ireland's eleven Rotary Clubs and aims to identify and promote emerging talent within the hospitality and food industry. As winners of the 2025 final, SRC will host this year's grand final at its Newry campus on 30 April, with student teams from across Northern Ireland's Further Education College network taking part. The winning team's menus remain under wraps as they continue to prepare ahead of the event.
The heat was sponsored by WBR Credit Union and Fisher and Fisher Solicitors.
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Southern Regional College (SRC) is to have more competitors at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 than any other university or college across the UK, with five talented young professionals selected for Team UK ahead of the global event this September.
Known as the "Skills Olympics," WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 takes place from 22-27 September with around 1,500 young people competing from over 80 countries and is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors, alongside government leaders, global employers and education experts.
Among those flying the flag for Team UK is Caolan McCartan, aged 24, from Camlough, who will compete in the Industry 4.0 category alongside teammate Patrick Sheerin, aged 24. Caolan is currently training with employer Pronto Engineering and studying for his Engineering (Technical Design and Manufacture) Foundation Degree at SRC. Patrick, who has graduated with an Engineering BEng (Hons) degree, is currently employed with AJ Power.
The other three SRC competitors are Oisin McKerr, aged 22, from Lurgan, who will compete in Car Painting having completed his Vehicle Accident Paint Repair Level 3 Apprenticeship with the College and is currently employed with Porters Body Shop; Ruth Douglas, aged 21, from Banbridge, who will compete in Chemical Laboratory Technician having completed her Applied Industrial Sciences Chemical Foundation Degree at SRC last August and is now employed by the Almac Group; and Jonathan Gough, aged 22, from Waringstown, who will compete in Electrical Installation and has undertaken the Electrotechnical (Electrical Installation) Apprenticeship with the College and is currently self-employed.
The five competitors will also be supported by two SRC lecturers travelling to Shanghai as Training Managers for Team UK. Dr Deidre Murray will continue to train Ruth in the Chemical Laboratory Technician specialism, while Stephen Chapman will train Team UK's selected representative in bricklaying.
Each competitor's place on Team UK has come after years of preparation, progressing through WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions before undergoing intensive specialist training both in the UK and abroad. Further high-performance preparation is planned in the months ahead of the Shanghai event.
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, said: "Congratulations to Oisin, Ruth, Jonathan, Caolan and Patrick on being selected for Team UK, it is a huge achievement and a proud moment for Northern Ireland."
He added: "At a time when employers are sceptical about employing young people Team UK show just how important it is to have young professionals in the workforce. These young technicians have an incredibly valuable mix of world-class technical skills, impressive employability skills and a mindset to succeed."
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, said: "We are incredibly proud of each of these outstanding individuals and their achievement in reaching the global stage."
She added: "To have the highest number of competitors representing the UK is a remarkable accomplishment for the College and highlights the strength of our educational provision. We wish them every success as they take on the world in Shanghai and showcase the very best of Northern Ireland's talent."
WorldSkills is recognised globally as the benchmark of skills excellence, and SRC's representation at this year's event underlines the college's standing as one of the leading providers of vocational and technical education in the UK.
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Students from two local schools have been recognised among the prize winners in this year's 72nd Texaco Children's Art Competition, one of the longest-running arts sponsorships in Ireland.
Katie McAleavey (18) from St. Paul's High School, Bessbrook, and Ryan Campbell (13) from St. Colman's College, Newry, both received Special Merit Awards. Final Adjudicator Pauline O'Connell, an Irish visual artist, curator and educator, said the winning works "were imaginative and demonstrated high levels of skill and creativity."
The Texaco Children's Art Competition has an unbroken history dating back to the very first competition held in 1955 and is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland. This year, as throughout its history, it has provided a platform for young artists from Down and counties across Ireland to have their talents recognised and their creativity commended.
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Students from Southern Regional College have won the Northern Ireland Generation Chef final for the second consecutive year, with the grand final held at the SRC Newry East campus on Thursday 30 April.
The final was assessed by six industry judges, including chefs from Hastings Hotels, Regency House, TMR Windham Hotel Group and Henderson Foodservice, with front of house judged by representatives from Michelin-starred Ox Belfast and Regency House.
The winning team consisted of chef students Eva Newell (18) from Kilkeel and Leon Ruddy (18) from Bleary, alongside hospitality student Katie Gray (17) from Collone, Armagh. They were selected following six regional heats held across the north's further education colleges.
The title of Rotary Ireland Generation Chef 2026 came with a significant prize package, secured through Northern Ireland's eleven Rotary Clubs. Winners will receive industry placements and mentorships with the Hastings Hotel and Windward Hotel Groups, as well as a four-day Culinary Tour of Ulster. The tour will include masterclasses with leading executive chefs and suppliers and visits to some of Northern Ireland's award-winning food and drink producers.
Now in its second year, the competition is a collaboration between 11 Rotary Clubs and six Regional Colleges, spanning 10 hospitality campuses. It is designed to highlight the culinary arts as a career path in Northern Ireland. Key sponsors included Henderson Foodservice, Hastings Hotels and, new for 2026, TMR Windward Hotel Group.
Michelle Moore, Curriculum Area Manager of Hospitality and Tourism at Southern Regional College, said: "I am immensely proud of Leon, Eva and Katie on winning this very prestigious competition. Their lecturers, Lynette, Keith and Seamus, worked hard to mentor and support them.
"Winning this competition for the second year in a row is extremely rewarding and is a true testament to our commitment to developing and nurturing talent within the Hospitality and Catering industry.
"It was a huge honour for SRC to host the Northern Ireland Final and to welcome so many highly regarded figures from the Hospitality sector. I would like to thank the Rotarians for organising such a brilliant competition, and our students are very much looking forward to their upcoming Culinary Tour to broaden their culinary knowledge."
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Secondary school pupils gathered at Southern Regional College's Newry West Campus on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 for a special Females in Engineering event aimed at encouraging more young women to consider careers in STEM. Schools represented on the day included Our Lady's Grammar School Newry, St Mary's High School Newry, St Malachy's High School Castlewellan and St Catherine's College Armagh.
The event featured keynote speaker Bernie Collins, a Sky Sports Formula 1 analyst and former Head of Race Strategy at Aston Martin, alongside three students from the College's championship-winning STEM Racing Car team. Engineering Level 3 Extended Diploma students Chloe O'Hare, Sophie Houston and Ellie Magee each shared personal insights into their journeys within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Ellie Magee spoke about her role as Graphic Designer for Team SCAR, explaining how she leads on visual elements including the team's portfolio layout and pit display. She highlighted that engineering extends well beyond technical calculations, pointing to the importance of "teamwork, creativity, communication and sometimes arguing about what shade of red looks best."
Ellie said: "For years, women weren't encouraged to go into engineering. We didn't see many women in these roles, so it's easy to think, maybe that's not for me. But that's changing, and it needs to keep changing. The truth is engineering needs us. It needs different perspectives, different ideas, and different ways of thinking. When you bring more voices into engineering, you get better solutions, more innovation and designs that work for more people."
Pupils also took part in a range of interactive activities on the day, including a 20-metre two-lane racing track where they could test miniature race cars, a reaction time challenge, a smoke trace visualisation demonstration and a wind tunnel experiment showing the effects of drag and airflow on racing performance, as well as a variety of other STEM displays.
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, said: "The engineering industry needs more than technical ability, it needs creativity, communication, leadership and fresh perspectives. Events like 'Females in Engineering – I am an Engineer' are about showing young women that there is absolutely a place for them within engineering and other STEM career routes. Seeing our students speak so confidently about their experiences and achievements is proof of what can happen when talent is encouraged and supported."
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