Elaine O’Donovan, a third-year mechanical and manufacturing engineering student at MTU from Skibbereen, tells how she helped shape a winning vision for Euro 2028:

“On Thursday evening, I was lining out for O’Donovan Rossa in Skibbereen. Less than 12 hours later, I was standing in Google’s Dublin headquarters preparing to pitch ideas for how Ireland could make the most of hosting UEFA Euro 2028. By lunchtime, we had won.

“I was in Dublin for the 2026 Leaders of Tomorrow Case Competition, which brought together students from MTU, UL, Texas Christian University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“We were divided into mixed Irish-American teams and given a real-world challenge. Two groups looked at the Ryder Cup in Adare in 2027, while my team focused on Dublin’s role in UEFA Euro 2028.

“Our task was to consider how Ireland could make the most of hosting a major international sporting event, not just during the tournament but long after the supporters had gone home.

“We had to think about transport, accessibility, tourism, local businesses, jobs and what kind of legacy the event could leave behind.

“My team included Leah McCarthy from UL, Sidney Griffin from UNC and Mark Centeno from TCU. We had worked together online beforehand, but we had never actually met in person.

“Our proposal was built around the acronym PITCH: Platform, Inclusion, Transport, Commerce and Human Investment.

“We proposed a central digital platform bringing together match information, transport, accommodation and flight details. The idea was that it would be multilingual and accessible, but also useful beyond Euro 2028 and adaptable for future major events.

“We also suggested appointing Paralympians as tournament ambassadors, making accessibility part of the planning from the outset rather than treating it as an afterthought.

“We wanted the benefits to reach beyond Dublin too, so we looked at ways of promoting accommodation and tourism opportunities elsewhere in Ireland.

“Mark finished our presentation with the line: ‘For Ireland to win Euro 2028, they have to leave it all on the PITCH.’ The judges seemed to agree. When our team was announced as the winner, all four of us were genuinely shocked.

“After Google, we attended the CEO Club Luncheon at the Mansion House, where Dublin was already filling up with TCU and UNC supporters ahead of the College Football Classic.

“The next morning, we woke in Trinity to the UNC band and cheerleaders performing outside the Campanile. It felt a bit like waking up in High School Musical.

“Later that day, we went to the Aviva Stadium for the game and, during the second quarter, our winning team was brought down pitch-side.

“Standing beside the television crews, throwing an American football around and watching the action from just metres away was surreal. It showed how a major sporting event can become much bigger than the match itself. Looking back, that is what stands out most.

“I came home to West Cork with more confidence in my own ideas and a much better understanding of what can happen when people with very different strengths work together.

“I am also hugely grateful to everyone who made the competition possible, particularly the team at MTU who gave us the opportunity to take part.

“From the support we received while preparing our pitches to the events across the weekend, it was an incredible opportunity and one I certainly will not forget.”