Lets Go Carlow 2026

Eighty-one competitors converged on The Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow across February 7 and February 8 for Lets Go Carlow 2026, filling the venue with intense focus and rapid puzzle solving. The event space accommodated 11 distinct disciplines and 18 scheduled rounds, creating an active weekend hub for the Irish cubing community. From the first turn on Saturday morning to the final podiums on Sunday afternoon, the tournament hall provided a classic stage where seasoned veterans and ambitious newcomers pushed their limits across every official World Cube Association format.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a tournament-high 78 entrants across three competitive rounds. CJ Furey captured the title with a winning average of 6.67 seconds, punctuated by a standout single of 4.70 seconds. Ciarán Beahan pressed the champion closely to finish as runner-up on a 6.99 average, while Stephanie Rose Martin rounded out the podium at 7.88 seconds. These elite 3x3 results headlined a packed schedule in Carlow, Ireland, showing the sharp form at the top tier of national speedcubing.

Ciarán Beahan put together a dominant display across the large puzzle category during Lets Go Carlow 2026. Beahan secured first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 24.69 average and a quick single of 21.36 seconds, finishing ahead of Martin at 27.52 and Furey at 28.78. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Beahan claimed another victory with a 42.86 average, while Martin took second at 52.98 and Elliott Laurent earned third with 54.37. Beahan extended this streak by sweeping both the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:12.69 and the 7x7x7 Cube in 1:49.37.

Stephanie Rose Martin collected two event titles of her own during the cubing competition. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Martin topped a 58-person roster with a 1.61 winning average and a 1.45 single, leading Lucas Harford at 2.84 and William Carey at 2.91. Martin also prevailed in Megaminx across two rounds, averaging 27.83 seconds with a 26.44 best single. Meanwhile, Jack Corr delivered a victory in Clock with a 3.36 average, and William Carey took top honours in Skewb with a 2.56 average and a best single of 2.13.

Behind the top podium steps, several competitors marked notable breakthroughs across the schedule. Luke O'Mahony achieved a major improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube by recording a 5.71 personal best, shaving 49.9 percent off a previous mark of 11.40, while also taking on a first official attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube in 26.26. Finn Hsu Caswell improved their 4x4x4 Cube mark by 41.9 percent down to 1:35.29, made a first appearance in 5x5x5 Cube with 3:52.05, and lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best to 20.71. Morgan Ó Torna Evans dropped their 5x5x5 Cube best by 37.5 percent to 2:54.00, clocked an 11.69 Clock personal best, and logged a first 6x6x6 Cube solve in 6:09.83.

The spirit of development was equally evident in a wave of new puzzle entries throughout the weekend. Frank Huang improved their Clock mark by 29.7 percent to 15.09, cut their 2x2x2 Cube best by 23.7 percent to 3.87, and completed a first 4x4x4 Cube run in 1:05.17. Thomas Tierney improved in Clock with a 12.35 personal best and set a 4x4x4 Cube best of 1:14.02 alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube time of 2:40.03. Arsen Hereta logged a first 6x6x6 Cube attempt of 7:12.95 and reduced their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 24.7 percent to 2:26.52. In their first WCA competition, Anna Capcarrere entered three events, recording a 4.45 2x2x2 Cube solve and a 19.95 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Izaak Mooney tackled four events including a first Skewb attempt of 18.73.

Blindfolded events introduced quiet intensity to the tournament floor as solvers worked entirely from memory. Simon Kelly earned first place in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final with a winning single of 28.23 seconds, ahead of Ben Timmons at 35.88 and Tadhg Beckett at 52.42. Kelly also secured the top position in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 13 out of 22 cubes within 52:05. Timmons finished second in Multi-Blind with 9 out of 14 in 59:58, and Beckett placed third with 3 out of 5 in 39:04.

Across the entire weekend, all 33 podium places were secured by competitors representing Ireland, reflecting depth across every event format. The busy schedule of 18 rounds allowed entrants of all experience levels to test their Rubik's Cube skills in front of an attentive local crowd. For the organizers and competitors at Lets Go Carlow 2026, the two-day gathering at The Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow offered an excellent showcase of speed cubing talent in 2026.