The Irish Hereford Breed Society, in collaboration with Slaney Foods International & LIDL Ireland have awarded 5 bursaries of €1,000 each to 5 successful candidates at the 85th National Ploughing Championships which took place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly in September 2016.

The programme, which was launched earlier in the summer, created wide interest from prospective and aspiring agricultural students wishing to go to Agricultural College or study Agriculture at 3rd level in the Republic of Ireland this year.

Participants had to submit an assignment entitled: Environmental Sustainability – the Challenges for the Irish Beef Sector (maximum 2,000 words).  A team of adjudicators selected ten qualifiers, to attend for interview at the Irish Hereford Breed Society Stand during this year’s National Ploughing Championships.   These interviews and the selection of the final 5 winners was carried out by Matt Dempsey who is very well known and highly regarded within the Irish Agricultural sector.

IMG_3452Front L to R: Finalists Clem Rossiter Bannow, Co. Wexford, Nicole Keohane McCarty Kinsale, Co. Cork, Aislinn Lawlor, Castlecomer, Kilkenny, Catherine Leydon, Boyle, Roscommon and Hannah Quinn Mulligan Croom, Co. Limerick Back L to R: Finalist Eoin Brennan, Lanesboro, Longford, Liam Philpott (IHBS President), Rory Fanning – Slaney Foods Managing Director, Finalist Paraic Ryan Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, Matt Dempsey – Chairman The Agricultural Trust, Finalists Michael Kennedy Stradbally, Co. Laois, David Farrell, Stradbally, Laois, and Joseph Forbes, Enniskeane, Cork

Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, announced the five winners:

  • Paraic Ryan – Sixmilebridge, Co Clare
  • Clem Rossiter – Bannow, Co. Wexford
  • Nicole Keohane McCarty – Kinsale, Co. Cork
  • Michael Kennedy – Stradbally, Co. Laois
  • Hannah Quinn Mulligan – Croom, Co. Limerick

    IMG_3552

    Front L to R: Winners: Hannah Quinn Mulligan, Paraic Ryan, Nicole Keohane McCarty, Michael Kennedy and Clem Rossiter, William Branagan – IHBS Chairman. Back L to R: Liam Philpott (IHBS President), Rory Fanning – Slaney Foods Managing Director, Andrew Doyle – Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Brendan Conway – Lidl Buyer, Matt Dempsey – Chairman The Agricultural Trust

    “Together with our partners we are very pleased with the response to the competition and with the efforts of the young aspiring agricultural enthusiasts who participated. We wish the five winners and the five runners up all of whom reached a very high standard every success in their chosen career path,” commented Larry Feeney – IHBS Secretary.

    The challenges arising for agriculture into the future will require increased education particularly in Agricultural Science.  The environmental challenges facing the industry are many and varied depending on where in the world food is produced and where the world’s population is concentrated.  We are confident that this competition has succeeded in highlighting the great need for further education in agriculture to meet the needs of a growing population.