Rose of Tralee/ Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins announced as headline speaker for I Wish festival 

REIGNING Rose of Tralee, Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins, has been announced as one of the first headline speakers at the re-imagined I Wish festival.

Taking place on 5 February 2026 at the RDS Dublin, the I Wish festival is dedicated to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) to teenage girls.

Headline speaker Katelyn Cummins is currently completing the third phase of an electrical apprenticeship with Alpha Drives Ltd. A passionate advocate for apprenticeships and alternative pathways, she has used her platform to champion applied STEM routes into engineering and construction-related careers.

Students from Laois are invited to join approximately 4,000 students from across Ireland to attend this year’s festival, which is now in its 12th year. There will be an emphasis on artificial intelligence and its many applications, alongside applied STEM skills and future-ready career pathways for women.

This includes a dedicated ‘Construction Zone’, delivered in partnership with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), which will provide hands-on demonstrations, insight into apprenticeships and engineering pathways, and direct engagement with women working across this sector.

I Wish co-founder Gillian Keating noted that construction has the lowest female representation of any sector in Ireland, at just over 10 per cent overall, and only 1 per cent on building sites.

“Ireland urgently needs these skills,” she said. “We must work harder to encourage young women to consider construction pathways. Early exposure is critical. If girls don’t see these careers as options in school, the talent pipeline simply won’t meet industry demand.” A 2025 survey conducted by I Wish found that access to practical STEM subjects remains dramatically lower for girls in single-sex schools, with just 5 per cent reporting access to Construction Studies and 6 per cent to Engineering, compared with 84 per cent and 74 per cent respectively in mixed schools, despite near-universal access to Biology and Chemistry.

Co-founder Caroline O’Driscoll added: “Year after year, students tell us they’re interested in STEM but don’t always see where it can lead. I Wish exists to bridge that gap by connecting girls with real people, real careers and real opportunities.” Additional confirmed speakers for I Wish 2026 include Irish Olympian Gráinne Walsh; Mary O’Donnell, I Wish alumna and aeronautical engineer; Marie Moynihan, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resource Services at Dell Technologies; Weronika Mozolewska, Quality Assurance Engineer at Dell Technologies; and Elaine Laird, Head of People and Culture at Logitech. Further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. TV Presenter, Katja Mia will be MC for I Wish 2026.

Iarnród Éireann will provide free rail transport from 22 locations across the Republic of Ireland, while a partnership with Translink will ensure accessibility for students travelling from Northern Ireland.