Offaly man to speak at Midlands’ first-ever TEDx event

An Offaly-based technology leader will take to the stage this week as part of the Midlands’ first-ever TEDx event.

Ray Bell, head of information systems with Offaly County Council, is among the speakers at TEDxAthlone, which takes place this Thursday, February 12, at the Dean Crowe Theatre.

Ray Bell believes that STEM education doesn’t just create jobs — it creates futures.

Through his work with Offaly County Council, he has been a strong advocate for making STEM a catalyst for creativity, innovation and sustainable growth across the Midlands and beyond.

At TEDxAthlone, Ray will speak alongside Ericsson’s Barbara Quinn on the importance of making STEM education more accessible to young people, and how early exposure to technology can help build confidence, unlock potential and create long-term opportunities for individuals, communities and the wider region.

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Their talk will explore the role that collaboration between education, industry and government can play in developing a future-ready generation and retaining talent locally.

Speaking ahead of the event, organisers Orla Thornton, director of marketing and communications at TUS Athlone, and MaryJo Neilan, co-organiser of TEDxAthlone, said the focus of the event goes beyond the stage:

“This isn’t just about hosting an event. It’s about creating meaningful connections between the university and the wider Midlands and giving people a reason to come together around ideas. Bringing TEDx to the Midlands for the first time is about strengthening that sense of place and showing that important conversations can happen here.”

Other speakers on the night include leading vascular surgeon Dr Niamh Hynes, iRadio presenter and content creator Dave Duke, and Midlands–North-West MEP and former RTÉ journalist Ciaran Mullooly, alongside voices from sport, media, business, fashion and technology.

TEDxAthlone takes place on Thursday, February 12, from 7pm, at the Dean Crowe Theatre. A limited number of tickets are available via deancrowetheatre.com. Student discounts are available with a valid student ID. Follow @TEDxAthlone on Instagram.

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