Kilkenny student makes final of Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards

Liam Herlihy, Chairperson, Teagasc; AnneMarie Butler, Head of KT Education, Teagasc; Noel Grealish, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, presenting certificate to Martha Langford (a finalist in the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards 2025) and Michael Berkery, Chairperson, FBD Trust | Finbarr O'Rourke

placeholder image — Liam Herlihy, Chairperson, Teagasc; AnneMarie Butler, Head of KT Education, Teagasc; Noel Grealish, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, presenting certificate to Martha Langford (a finalist in the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards 2025) and Michael Berkery, Chairperson, FBD Trust | Finbarr O'Rourke

‘Proud day’ for Martha Langford from Piltown in South Kilkenny

A local student was honoured last week after they made the final of the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards, which took place in Kilkenny.

Martha Langford of Piltown in County Kilkenny, was one of the finalists in the prestigious competition.

The awards were presented to the top graduates of Teagasc Level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry training programmes in 2025.

The overall winner, Robyn Dowling, completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship (Equitation) at the Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, County Kilkenny.

In addition to winning the Overall Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award, she was also successful in the ‘Other Land Based Category’.

You epitomise the high calibre of student emerging from Teagasc education courses

Teagasc Chairperson, Liam Herlihy

Edmund Motherway from Ladysbridge, Midleton, County Cork won the ‘Full-Time Agriculture Category.’ He completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Dairy Herd Management) in Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, County Kilkenny.

Bernadette Donohoe, from Kildavin, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, was successful in the ‘Part-Time and Distance Education’ category.

She completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture at the Teagasc, Tinahely.

Teagasc Chairperson, Liam Herlihy congratulated all the finalists and said that “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 student emerging from Teagasc education courses,” he added.

Michael Berkery, Chairman of FBD Trust, described the finalists as ‘wonderful ambassadors for this sector’.

“We are proud to sponsor these awards which highlight their accomplishments,” he said.

Below is the full list of finalists:

Eileen Collins, Douglas, County Cork
Róisín Corkery, Kinsealy, County Dublin
Audrey Dunne, Drumcondra, Dublin
Aoife Jones, Naas, County Kildare
Jason Kelleher, Innishannon, County Cork
Martha Langford, Piltown, County Kilkenny
Eoin Loftus, Ballinasloe, County Galway
Shane McAuliffe, Dromagh, Mallow, County Cork
Charmaine McDermott, Redcastle, County Donegal
Colin Mullahy, Claremorris, County Mayo
Oscar Ó Marcaigh, Blackrock, County Dublin
Jack Stevenson, Lifford, County Donegal
Beth Thornton, Mallow, County Cork
Christina Tobin, Castletownroche, County Cork

Dr Anne Marie Butler, Head of Education in Teagasc, stated that the students “have embraced our education programme and blossomed as individuals ready to move to the next stage of their careers”.