A team from Adamstown Community College in Lucan has been crowned champion of the 2026 Bank of Ireland Money Smarts Challenge.
Close to 2,000 students from secondary schools across Ireland took part in this year’s Bank of Ireland Money Smarts Challenge, comprising of four virtual events, with the Adamstown Community College team of Grace Isere, Hakan Uysal, Ebru Cabuk and Mikheala Ocleasa claiming one of the €2,000 first prizes for their school.
The four Adamstown Community College students together with their teacher Niamh Byrne were presented with the top prize at their school.
There were ten winning schools across the two dates with total prize money of over €14,000 awarded.
Now in its 7th year, the Bank of Ireland Money Smarts Challenge is an all-Ireland financial literacy quiz for secondary school students.
It is the end of year culmination event to the Money Smarts Programme, the free financial literacy programme that Bank of Ireland provides for secondary schools.
Money Smarts Programme aims to equip students with better understanding of how to manage their finances and build positive Financial Wellbeing habits from a young age.
Bespoke youth research conducted by Bank of Ireland among 13 – 30 year olds highlights the importance of building financial confidence and wellbeing among young people, with 86% of 13–18-year-olds recognising the importance of saving money, but 46% saying they are not particularly good at it.
There is strong correlation between financial confidence and mental wellbeing, with 70% confirming they feel better when their money is in check. (Bank of Ireland Youth Mind & Money Report, 2025 Ipsos B&A)
Commenting on the Money Smarts Challenge, Rory Carty, Head of Customer Segments Bank of Ireland said: “I would like to congratulate the winning team from Adamstown Community College on their success in the 2026 Money Smarts Challenge.
“I also want to recognise the dedication of all the teachers and students across the country who participated this year, strengthening financial literacy skills that will benefit young people well beyond the classroom.”
“Financial skills are crucial life skills and helping young people build confidence with money is essential.
“The Bank of Ireland Financial Wellbeing Index shows that financial literacy scores among 18-24 year olds have averaged 48% over the past four years, consistently below the current national average score of 54% reinforcing the importance of practical programmes like Money Smarts.
“Since 2017, more than 740,000 students have taken part in Money Smarts initiatives, supporting young people to make informed financial decisions and manage their money with greater confidence.”