Wexford students recognised at Croke Park for Irish Angus Schools project

On Friday March 6th, two Wexford students were recognised at an awards ceremony held in Croke Park…

Two students from FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody, were recognised at the annual Certified Irish Angus Schools competition awards ceremony which was held at Croke Park.

Students Hollie-Mae Power Sinnott and Grace Warren attended the prestigious grand final in the Hogan Suite after successfully completing a research project and rearing five Angus calves for an 18-month period.

The Certified Irish Angus Schools’ Competition in association with Kepak and ABP is an initiative that challenges students to rear five Irish Angus Cross calves for 18 months until their slaughter which aids their Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science curriculum. It aims to promote the Certified Irish Angus brand while communicating the care and attention required to produce quality beef for consumers.

FCJ Bunclody:

In the first year that FCJ Secondary School has entered the competition, the finalists investigated the research topic “Positioning Ireland as a global leader in sustainable beef production”. The students explored farmers’ knowledge of sustainable farming methods, with a particular focus on women in the agricultural sector in Ireland and the role that they play in positioning sustainability in beef production.

John Walsh, Commercial Director, ABP, Hollie-Mae Power Sinnott and Grace Warren, FCJ Secondary School, Charles Smith, General Manager, Certified Irish Angus, Mick O’Dowd, Head of Agribusiness, Kepak.

Competition growth

Now in its 12th year, the competition, which is run in association with processor partners ABP and Kepak, has attracted over 1,000 students from 361 groups across 25 counties, blending practical learning and research skills to support students’ career development.Farming experts are currently judging the next batch of potential entrants from a pool of 53 shortlisted schools.

The judges include representatives from right across the agri-food industry ABP, Kepak, Tesco, Bord Bia, IASTA, NPA, Our Food Roots, IFA and Musgrave. The five schools that best demonstrate an understanding of the competition, along with innovative project ideas will be announced later this year at the National Ploughing Championships in September. 

On completion of the project, each of the finalists receives the financial benefit involved in the selling of the animals to the processors which amounts to an average €10,000 per group. The overall winning students also receive an additional grant of €2,000 for their further education. 