Local Paralympian one of guest speakers at I Wish Festival

Ballymoe native and Paralympian, Richael Timothy, was one of the guest speakers at the 12th annual I Wish Festival at the RDS, Dublin, on Thursday.

The para-cyclist was joined by International Rose of Tralee, Dancing with the Stars contestant, and apprentice electrical engineer Katelyn Cummins, boxer Gráinne Walsh and other special guests at an event which heard that lack of early exposure remained a key factor preventing more girls from pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.

Almost 4,000 female teenage students from across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland gathered in the RDS for the acclaimed annual experience-led STEM event where guest speaker Katelyn Cummins outlined that many girls rule out engineering long before they ever reach third level — not due to a lack of ability or ambition, but because they simply don’t see the pathway.

“If I hadn’t met women working in engineering, I wouldn’t have believed there was a place for me,” she said.

“Too many girls never get the chance to see what modern engineering really looks like — creative, hands-on, technology-driven and full of opportunity. I Wish shows girls what’s possible before they make choices that can quietly close doors.”

The I Wish Festival connects thousands of teenage girls with female role models, industry leaders and real-world STEM careers.

This year’s Festival placed a strong emphasis on AI, engineering, construction and future-ready STEM careers.

With 50 per cent of girls citing a lack of access to female role models as a barrier to STEM careers, according to the 2025 I Wish Report, and 58 per cent saying they lacked confidence in a career in STEM, over 30 speakers engaged directly with students at the event, highlighting the critical role visible role models play in shaping career choice.

I Wish — a multi-award-winning programme showcasing the power of STEM to female students in Ireland and across the globe — has held its renowned annual Festival since 2015. 

It has engaged with 65,988 students, hosted 1,118 speakers, and partnered with 141 industry leaders.