Ciaran Calvey

Student receives outstanding achievement award

AT an awards ceremony in Croke Park, Ciaran Calvey from Rice College, Westport, received an Outstanding Individual Achievement Award for his contribution to the 2018 Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition.

Organised by the Irish Angus Producer Group, ABP and Kepak, the initiative challenges students to rear five Irish Angus cross calves for 18 months until their slaughter as part of their Leaving Certificate agricultural science project.

Ciaran's group was one of five selected to take part in the competition over the last 18 months. Their project investigated how the production of Angus cattle on marginal land in the west of Ireland enhances the farming system and the quality of the beef.

Judges said that Ciaran demonstrated a passion for farming and an outstanding personal commitment to the project and the rearing of the animals.

Mark Shorten and Conor Lehane from St. Brogan’s College in Bandon, Co. Cork were announced as the overall winners of the competition. The pair investigated the benefits of Irish Angus cross Friesian calves for a mixed dairy and beef farm and presented their findings at every opportunity at local co-ops, marts and events.

The organisers are currently in the process of selecting five new schools from a shortlist of 28 who presented their project ideas at the Croke Park event. The judges included representatives from Bord Bia, The Irish Farmers Journal, ABP, Kepak, National Ploughing Association, Tesco Ireland and a number of full-time farmers.

The five schools who have demonstrated the best understanding of the project will be announced in April and will be presented with their calves at the National Ploughing Championships in September 2018.

The Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition aims to allow students to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to a real life setting. Each of the finalists receives the financial benefit involved in the selling of the animals to the processors on completion of the project, which amounted to an average €6,550. The winning students also receive an additional grant of €2,000 for their further education.