Kildalton student wins Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award
(Left to right): Liam O'Herlihy, chairperson of Teagasc; Frank O'Mara, director of Teagasc; Robyn Dowling, National Winner of the Student of the Year Awards 2025; Noel Grealish, minister of state at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Annmarie Butler, head of KT Education at Teagasc and Michael Berkery, chairperson of FBD Trust. Photo: Finbarr O’Rourke
Robyn Dowling from Skerries, Co Dublin, iss the overall winner of the Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award.
The awards were presented by minister of state at the Department of Agriculture, Noel Grealish, on May 7. The awards, sponsored by FBD, were presented to the top graduates of Teagasc Level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry training programmes in 2025.
Ms Dowling completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship (Equitation) at the Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, County Kilkenny. Alongside her Overall Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award, Ms Dowling also won in the ‘Other Land-Based Category’.
Two other category awards were presented on the day. Edmund Motherway from Ladysbridge, Midleton, Co Cork, won the ‘Full-Time Agriculture Category,’ and Bernadette Donohoe, from Kildavin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, was successful in the ‘Part-Time and Distance Education Category.’
Mr Motherway completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Dairy Herd Management) at Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, and Ms Donohoe completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture at Teagasc, Tinahely.
Congratulating all the finalists, Teagasc chairperson, Liam Herlihy, said: “I want to congratulate you on being finalists in these awards. The agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry sectors need young people with new ideas, and the right skill sets and knowledge to drive the development of the Irish land-based sectors.
You epitomise the high calibre of students emerging from Teagasc education courses. I would like to thank FBD for their ongoing support for these awards."
Also speaking at the awards, chairman of FBD Trust, Michael Berkery, said: “The Teagasc/ FBD Student of the Year finalists are wonderful ambassadors for this sector, and we are proud to sponsor these awards, which highlight their accomplishments.
"On behalf of the team at FBD, I would like to congratulate Robyn Dowling and all the finalists on their achievements and wish them every success in the future.”
The other finalists were:
- Eileen Collins, Douglas, Co Cork.
- Róisín Corkery, Kinsealy, Co Dublin.
- Audrey Dunne, Drumcondra, Co Dublin.
- Aoife Jones, Naas, Co Kildare.
- Jason Kelleher, Innishannon, Co Cork.
- Martha Langford, Piltown, Co Kilkenny.
- Eoin Loftus, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
- Shane McAuliffe, Dromagh, Mallow, Co Cork.
- Charmaine McDermott, Redcastle, Co Donegal.
- Colin Mullahy, Claremorris, Co Mayo.
- Oscar Ó Marcaigh, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
- Jack Stevenson, Lifford, Co Donegal.
- Beth Thornton, Mallow, Co Cork.
- Christina Tobin, Castletownroche, Co Cork.
