The smart money was on the students of Éamann Rís in bank's finance quiz

Leaving Cert business and economics students from Coláiste Éamann Rís have been crowned champions of the 2026 Bank of Ireland Money Smarts Challenge.

Some 2,000 secondary schools students across Ireland took part. The Coláiste Éamann Rís team of JP Uyi-Irabor, Alyssa O’Carroll, Jimmy O’Mahony, and Ethan Coughlan claimed a €2,000 first prize from one of the four virtual events.

The four Coláiste Éamann Rís students, together with their teacher, Brian Kenny, were presented with the top prize at their school. There were 10 winning schools across the two dates and total prize money of €14,000.

Now in its seventh 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 to the Money Smarts Programme, the free financial literacy programme that Bank of Ireland provides for secondary schools.

The programme shows students how to manage their finances and build positive financial wellbeing habits.

Research conducted by Bank of Ireland on a group of 13 to 30-year-olds highlights the importance of financial confidence to young people, with 86% of 13 to 18-year-olds recognising the importance of saving money.

However, 46% said they are not particularly good at it.

There is a strong correlation between financial confidence and mental wellbeing, with 70% of students confirming that they feel better when their money is in check, according to the Bank of Ireland Youth Mind and & Money Report, 2025.

Commenting on the Money Smarts Challenge, Rory Carty, at Bank of Ireland, said: “I would like to congratulate the winning team, from Coláiste Éamann Rís, 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 to 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.”