Lets Go Back to Carlow 2026

Twelve solvers sat down to face the silent intensity of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, where memorisation and flawless execution collide without the luxury of sight. Blindfolded solving remains one of the ultimate tests at any cubing competition, demanding complete mental discipline before a single turn is made. At The Seven Oaks Hotel across May 30 and May 31, the blindfolded disciplines set a high standard. Kalin Doherty secured victory in the single-blind discipline with an average of 47.65 seconds, anchored by a best single of 27.73 seconds, while Simon Kelly finished second with a 27.84 single and Ben Timmons placed third with 33.99 seconds.

The mental demands expanded even further in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, where seven competitors took on the task of memorising and solving multiple cubes in sequence under strict time limits. Ben Timmons claimed the title by successfully resolving 13 out of 15 cubes in a time of 56:39. Simon Kelly followed closely in second place after turning in an impressive 18 out of 26 cubes in 57:01, while Finn Molloy rounded out the podium with 6 out of 11 cubes in 52:52. The endurance required across these attempts proved to be one of the defining highlights of the weekend in Carlow, Ireland.

Across the two days of competition, 65 competitors tackled 11 distinct events spread across 19 rounds. The classic Rubik's Cube brought together 59 competitors across three rounds of intense action. CJ Furey captured the title in 3x3x3 Cube, recording a winning average of 6.99 seconds alongside the fastest single of the weekend at 5.60 seconds. The 3x3 results in the final saw Kalin Doherty take the second step on the podium with an 8.85 average, just ahead of Deasúin Kenny, who secured third place with an average of 8.95 seconds.

Beyond the classic cube, the speedcubing community in Ireland enjoyed a varied schedule of twisty puzzles. In 4x4x4 Cube, Ben Timmons emerged on top with an average of 36.32 seconds, narrowly edging out CJ Furey at 36.57 seconds, with Kalin Doherty taking third at 38.49 seconds. CJ Furey returned to the top of the podium in the 5x5x5 Cube, winning with an average of 1:03.57 and a best single of 51.47 seconds, finishing ahead of Timmons and Doherty once again. Meanwhile, Cormac Finke took the Square-1 title with an average of 11.95 seconds, followed by Conor Ryan McMorrow at 12.78 seconds and Lucas Patrick Dowling at 13.15 seconds.

The one-handed and side events produced equally sharp performances during the 2026 tournament. Stephanie Rose Martin delivered two titles, claiming first place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 12.98 seconds ahead of Deasúin Kenny and Ben Timmons, before also winning the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.63-second average. Jack Corr secured victory in the Clock event with a 4.59-second average and a single of 2.96 seconds, ahead of Timmons and Callie LePage. In Pyraminx, Oisín Olwill won with a 2.06 average, while Lucas Patrick Dowling topped the Skewb standings with an average of 3.41 seconds.

Away from the top of the podium, a major part of the weekend unfolded through major personal milestones and debut attempts. Con Dillon had a remarkable showing across six events, slashing 55.3 percent off their Skewb personal best with a time of 3.31 seconds, while also logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 30.05 seconds and a first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 1:33.22. Sean Conlon entered nine events and took 10th in Clock, dropping 44.4 percent off their Square-1 personal best down to 19.27 seconds. Oisin Doak improved their Skewb mark by 39.6 percent to 8.93 seconds and took 17th in 2x2x2 Cube, while Conor Denis Fleming cut 36 percent off their Skewb best with a 13.86-second single and logged a first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 2:00.27.

Wiktor Galinski recorded an impressive 34.3 percent drop in 4x4x4 Cube to post 46.73 seconds, alongside an 11.94-second 3x3x3 personal best and a first ever 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 1:49.01 to place 18th. Emmett Kelly embraced a huge programme of nine events, registering a first 5x5x5 Cube time of 3:12.56, a first Clock solve of 21.69 seconds, and a 15th-place finish in Skewb. For several solvers, this WCA competition marked their first official appearance on the circuit. Ioana Alina Chira completed their first tournament across five events, finishing 15th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an initial mark of 26.30 seconds, while Andrew Nolan made their debut across three events, posting an initial 3x3x3 Cube solve of 49.92 seconds.

Irish competitors filled all 33 podium places across the weekend, demonstrating great technical depth in both standard and speciality categories. From the tense silence of blindfolded memorisation to the lightning-fast turns of short puzzle rounds, Lets Go Back to Carlow 2026 offered a full exhibition of speed cubing talent. Solvers across every level walked away with new personal bests and first-time event completions, setting a solid foundation as the speedcubing season moves ahead toward future challenges.