Finalists from Carlow and Sligo shared the top prize in the 2015 IrelandSkills National Toolmaking Competition, hosted by IT Sligo.
Gordon Hickey, from Autolaunch in Carlow, and Donal Logan from Tool & Gauge in Sligo (both pictured), were the overall joint winners.
Third place went to Ronan Faherty, Galway Mould & Tool, Galway. The other finalists were: Kevin Casey, Sulzer Pump Solutions, Wexford, and Gerard Doyle, Avenue Mould Solutions, Sligo.
This competition continues the strong heritage and expertise IT Sligo has in Toolmaking & Precision Engineering since the 1970s.
One of the top three finalists will go on to represent Ireland in Plastic Die Engineering at the World Skills Competition. It takes place in August in Sao Paulo in Brazil.
The candidate will be selected following interviews by IrelandSkills (February) and training in IT Sligo (March).
He will then will receive nine weeks intensive training at IT Sligo before travelling to Brazil in August.