Agricultural Science Post Graduation Celebration and Awards Ceremony

Pictured in University College Cork at an awards ceremony for graduates of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree are Michael Berkery, Chairman FBD Trust, Dara Heffernan, Cahir, Co Tipperary, receiving the FBD Trust Soil Science Award and Dr William Burchill, UCC. Photo O’Gorman Photography.

The annual UCC Teagasc ‘Agricultural Science Post Graduation Celebration and Awards Ceremony’ took place on the evening of Friday December 6th. The event celebrated and paid tribute to the class of 2024, as well as recognising the outstanding academic achievement of a number of individual members of the class. The awards were sponsored by key industry stakeholders from across this industry, while the overall event was sponsored by FBD TrustThirteen awards were presented on the evening. The individual awards reflect the breadth of opportunity within the Irish dairy industry as well as the varied strengths and interests of our students. The eagerness of industry stakeholders to sponsor these prestigious awards recognises the ambition and the quality of UCC’s Agricultural Science graduates and the bright future as industry leaders that lies ahead of them. Barry Stratford from Virgina, Co. Cavan was presented with the FBD Trust Overall Student of the Year Award.

Prof Frank Buckley, Head of Agricultural Science and academic director of the Agricultural Science degree programme at UCC, congratulated the awardees and their families, ’the Class of 2024 are a credit to themselves, UCC and to their families. They were hard working, dedicated and capable students across the four years of their degree course. All of the students, not just the awardees here tonight, are winners and high achievers. It has been a pleasure to watch you develop, and now particularly pleasing to see so many of you pursuing your passion having secured what for many of you are already important and high-performance roles right across industry. We wish you well in your careers’.

Prof Laurence Shalloo, Teagasc, Head of Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Programme, said ‘the partnership with Agricultural Science at UCC is very important to Teagasc. The dairy industry requires well educated students who can apply their knowledge and skills to address the economic, environmental and social challenges that our industry faces now and into the future.’

Sponsors:

FBD Trust, Cork Grassland Services, Munster Agricultural Society, Southern Milling, Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, MSD Animal Health Ireland, FDC, Irish Farmers Journal, Allied Irish Banks, Teagasc.

Individual Awards and Recipients:

‘Cork Grassland Services Grassland Student of the Year’ award to best student across 3rd and 4th year ‘grassland science’ modules AG3004 and AG4004. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Barry Stratford, Virginia, Co. Cavan.

‘Munster Agricultural Society Sustainable Agriculture Award’ to best student in 2nd year module AG2001 – Sustainable Fooeed Production. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Patrick O’Halloran, Ruan, Co. Clare.

‘FBD Trust Soil Science Award’ to best student in 3rd year module AG3002 – Soil Science and Soil/Land Management. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Dara Heffernan, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

‘Southern Milling Award’ to best student in 4th year module AG4007 – Animal Nutrition II. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Matt Walsh, Blarney, Co. Cork.

MSD ‘Bovilis #ProtectTheFuture Award’ to best student in 4th year module AG4009 – Bovine Health, Behaviour and Welfare. Recipient Barry Stratford, Virginia, Co. Cavan

‘AIB Best Work Placement Award’x2. Silver medal plus €250. Recipients Stephanie Stanely, Bandon, Co. Cork and Valerie Guiney, Listowel, Co. Kerry

‘ICBF Brian Wickham Award’. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Tadhg Griffin, Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

‘Irish Farmers Journal Award’. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Barry Stratford, Virginia, Co. Cavan

‘FDC Jack Murphy Award’. Silver medal plus €250. Recipient Michael Walsh, Buttevant, Co. Cork

‘Teagasc Paddy O’Keeffe Award’x2. Silver medal plus €250. Recipients Stephanie Stanley, Bandon, Co. Cork and Barry Stratford, Virginia, Co. Cavan

‘FBD Trust Best Overall Student Award’. Gold medal plus €1,000. Recipient Barry Stratford, Virginia, Co. Cavan

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