Mucklagh's Sebastian crowned Offaly Eason Spelling Bee champion

Mucklagh's Sebastian Walsh has been crowned the Offaly Eason Spelling Bee champion.

The sixth-class student from St. Colman’s National School triumphed in the County Offaly final with the winning word “transhistorical”.

Coming out victorious against eight other pupils, Sebastian will now represent County Offaly in the Provincial Spelling Bee at the end of the month.

Celebrating its 12th year, the Eason Spelling Bee is a key part of Eason's broader literacy initiative, designed to encourage and inspire children to develop their spelling and pronunciation skills.

Over the years, the competition has fostered a greater appreciation for words, vocabulary growth, and self-confidence among participating children.

Lisa O’Brien, Group Head of E-Commerce and Marketing at Eason, commented: “We are delighted to launch the 2025 Eason Spelling Bee with such talented children participating in County Offaly.

"They are a testament to the bright young minds of Ireland. We are confident that this year we will build on the success of 2024 and inspire communities to support their local schools and, especially, their spelling bees!”

The All-Ireland winning bee will secure a selection of books for their school library valued at €7,500, along with the coveted title of Eason Spelling Bee 2025 Champion. The winner will also receive a goodie bag filled with books worth €500.

This year, over 450 schools nationwide will compete for this coveted prize. The Eason Spelling Bee team will travel across the country to host County Final Spelling Bees, followed by Provincial Spelling Bee contests.

The champions from each province will then compete head-to-head in the All-Ireland Final Bee in June 2025, where the ultimate King or Queen Bee will be crowned.

Stay up to date with all the 2025 Spelling Bee news at www.easons.com/spellingbee