Maths Week turns 20 - and it’s bigger than ever

Ireland’s biggest celebration of numbers, puzzles and problem-solving returns this month. Maths Week 2025 runs from 11 to 19 October, marking 20 years of helping children (and their mammies and daddies!) discover that maths can be fun, creative and useful in everyday life.
Since it began in 2006, almost five million people across Ireland have taken part. Last year alone, over 500,000 students from 2,702 schools joined in, with thousands more enjoying family activities such as Maths in the City and Puzzles in the Park.
Organisers say this year’s programme promises to be the most exciting yet. There will be school workshops, public events, treasure trails, puzzles, live shows and even Maths Week TV streamed online.
Whether you love solving riddles, enjoy spotting patterns, or just want to see how maths connects to art, music or sport, there will be something for everyone.
Organisers say Maths Week is about breaking down the idea that maths is “too hard” or “just for clever people.” Instead, it’s about showing that numbers and patterns are all around us - in nature, in games, in money, in technology, and in the jobs of the future.

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Eoin Gill, Director of Maths Week Ireland, said: “Maths Week was created to replace any sense of ‘fear’ with curiosity and enjoyment. Over the past 20 years we have seen that when maths is made visible, playful and relevant, people thrive.
“As we look ahead, maths will be central to Ireland’s progress and prosperity. It is the engine that drives discovery, fuels creativity and shapes the solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The task for the next 20 years is to ensure that every child in every community can see themselves as capable of doing maths. The legacy of Maths Week will be a generation of problem solvers and innovators who see maths as part of who they are and as a key to building Ireland’s future.”

Why it matters
Maths isn’t just about times tables or exams. It’s the key to many of the fastest-growing jobs in Ireland - from designing computer games, working with robots and renewable energy, to developing medicines and even helping sports teams analyse their performance.
Everyone can take part. Schools, families, libraries, museums and community groups across Donegal and the rest of the country will be running events. There will also be activities for Irish speakers, Traveller and migrant learners, the Deaf community and children in disadvantaged schools - making sure everyone has a chance to join the fun.
So whether you’re five or eighty five or somewhere in between, this is your chance to celebrate maths, try something new, and maybe even discover that numbers are cooler than you think.

For details of events in your area, visit www.mathsweek.ie or follow #mathsweek2025 online.