Coláiste Ghobnait Wins ReelLife Science Award With Diabetes Rap

Eight students from Coláiste Ghobnait on Inis Oírr secured first prize in the post-primary category at the ReelLife Science Awards, Galway Bay FM reported.

The winning video, titled “Céard é Diaibéiteas?” (What is Diabetes?), beat out a field of more than 200 entries to claim the €1,000 top award. The competition, which took place at the University of Galway as part of Science Week and the Galway Science and Technology Festival, featured work from approximately 1,000 students across Ireland.

The project was developed by second and third-year students under the guidance of science teacher Rebecca Ní Chríocháin. The video uses a rhythmic rap format to explain the various types of diabetes, delivering complex medical information through the Irish language.

Céard é Diaibéiteas? (What is diabetes?)

The narrative begins in a classroom setting where a student declines an offer of sweets from a friend, explaining that she must monitor her blood sugar levels due to diabetes. This prompt leads into a musical sequence featuring classmates entering the room with boomboxes to deliver an educational lesson, Galway Bay FM reported.

The ReelLife Science Awards highlight a growing trend in how young people engage with STEM subjects by blending traditional curriculum with digital media. While some entries focused on topics like the lifecycle of headlice or the physics of Formula 1 cars, the Inis Oírr team utilized music and linguistics to bridge the gap between biology and public awareness.

The diversity of the 2026 entries reflects a wide spectrum of scientific inquiry among Irish students. Other notable winners included:

Category	Award Level	Winning Project Topic	School/Organization
Primary School	1st Prize	Headlice lifecycle	Abbey Primary School
Youth Organisation	1st Prize	Sound production	Grow Music

The success of the Coláiste Ghobnait students shows how multilingual scientific education impacts learners. By presenting the mechanics of diabetes in Gaeilge, the students addressed both biological concepts and cultural preservation within a single medium.

In the post-primary division, the competition was particularly dense. Following the Inis Oírr team, second place went to Transition Year students Yuqi Lu and Audrey Yang from Alexandra College Dublin for an animated video regarding noise-cancelling technology. Third place was awarded to Anna Wing Yin Hui from Nord Anglia International School for a hand-drawn animation on the science of lucid dreaming.

The youth organisation category saw Arden Oakes, representing Grow Music from Dundalk, take first prize for a presentation on sound production that utilized a piano and a pet chicken. In the same category, second place went to Brogan O’Donnell of Trident Swim Club for a study of energy production in swimming, while the third-place honors went to a Foróige group from Cork for their analysis of Formula 1 aerodynamics.

The full collection of winning videos has been made available to view on YouTube.