The Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year for 2023 will be announced tomorrow night (Tuesday, May 21) in Co. Laois.
Shortlisted to 15 nominees, the awards will be presented by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in the Heritage Hotel Killenard, Rathmiles, Portarlington, Co. Laois.
The Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year awards have been sponsored by FBD for over three decades and will be made to the top graduates of Teagasc Level 6 agricultural training programmes in 2023.
The judging panel have selected three category winners: full time agriculture category; part-time and distance education category; full time other land based category, which will be announced tomorrow.
There will be a number of speakers including Minister McConalogue; Elaine Houlihan, president of Macra; Michael Berkery, chair of FBD Trust and Dr. Anne Marie Butler, head of the education programme in Teagasc.
Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year nominees
Details on the 15 nominees are featured below:
David Stephenson is a dairy farmer from Hacketstown, Co. Wicklow, who recently completing his Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and Level 6 Specific Purpose in Farming in 2023.
Cian Hourihane, from a dairy farm in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, graduated with a Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture, and was the recipient of the Clonakilty Ag College Student of the Year award in 2023.
Cormac Rowe is a primary school teacher from Lobinstown, Co. Meath, who farms part-time with his family and completed a Distance Education course.
Enda Shanahan is a student from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, who completed a Level 6 Advanced Crops and Machinery course in Gurteen College in 2023.
Danny Doyle comes from Rathangan, Co. Kildare, where he currently farms with his parents on a large scale tillage operation. At Kildalton, Doyle was selected as Student of the Year for both his Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and Level 6 Advanced Crops and Machinery courses.
Alana King from Ennis, Co. Clare, graduated from the QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship – Equitation at Kildalton College.
Charlotte Duff White came to Kildalton College from Ballinamult, Co. Tipperary to study horticvulture, and she became the first student ever to win the Student of the Year Award for both the level 5 and 6 courses.
Rachel Lacey from Strand, Co. Limerick helps to run the dairy farm at home with her brother and doing relief milking on local farms, and received a distinction at the conclusion of her Level 6 studies.
Amy McGee comes from Drumkeeran, Co. Leitrim, where she is heavily involved in her home farm. McGee has a great knowledge of drystock systems in Ireland, in particular sheep production.
Tadhg Hanley is a dairy farmer based in Askeaton, Co. Limerick. Coming from a commercial dairy farm, Hanley was able to draw on his experience when completing his Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture.
Aidan Lynch comes from a dairy farm in Gort, Co. Galway, and has achieved distinctions in both Level 5 and Level 6 Agriculture.
Ben Maguire hails from Mountnugent, Co. Cavan, and completed his Level 6 Certificate in Forestry in 2023.
Conor McAweeney is a dairy farmer from Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim and his Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture resulted in him becoming the overall Ballyhaise student of the year in 2023.
Isabell Bourke is an active and enthusiastic farmer from Westport, Co. Mayo, who completed a Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farming.
Leanne O’Donnell is a diligent and dedicated worker from Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. In 2022, O’Donnell completed a Certificate in Horticulture in Teagasc College in the Botanic Gardens, before going on to complete the Advanced Certificate in Horticulture Landscaping in 2023.