Kildare university professor receives 2026 Maths Week Ireland Award
Professor David Malone of Maynooth University has been presented with the award
A professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Director of the Hamilton Institute at Maynooth University, Kildare has been named as the 2026 recipient of the Maths Week Ireland Award, recognising his outstanding and sustained contribution to maths promotion across the island of Ireland.
Professor David Malone is a leading figure in Irish mathematics, with more than 20 years’ experience at Maynooth University.
He received a BA, MSc and PhD in Mathematics from Trinity College Dublin.
The annual award was presented during Maths Week, which runs from October 10 to October 18, and celebrates 21 years of the all-island festival of maths.
“David Malone has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to raising public awareness and understanding of maths in Ireland,” said Eoin Gill, co-founder of Maths Week.
“His remarkable breadth of interests and ability to explain complex ideas have helped make maths accessible and relevant to audiences of all ages. He has contributed extensively to maths enrichment programmes and to the Irish Mathematical Society, of which he will become President in 2027.
“A longstanding supporter of Maths Week Ireland, David has visited primary and secondary schools, introducing younger pupils to mathematical concepts through interactive games and demonstrations, while encouraging older students to consider maths-related careers.
“Through newspaper articles and radio interviews he has shown how maths helps us understand everyday life and topical issues, including AI, password security, lotteries, voting systems and timekeeping. He has also explored Bitcoin's energy consumption and why companies make it so hard to cancel subscriptions.”
Accepting the award, Professor David Malone said: “It’s a real honour to receive the award and join the list of extraordinary previous recipients.
“I think mathematics is a very important thing because it helps us understand what the world is doing around us and also allows us to understand more abstract things. This understanding is really useful and even in a world with AI, mathematics will still help us humans understand the world. It is very important to continue the effort of popularising maths across the island of Ireland.”
Eoin Gill, co-founder of Maths Week added: “Maths Week was founded to promote awareness, appreciation and understanding of mathematics and its applications. We want to show that maths is for everyone, everywhere.
“David’s work is a major contribution to that purpose. He has helped people see that maths is not confined to classrooms or exams but is part of everyday life and how we understand the world around us.”