The event, which will be officially opened by Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett, will also feature a new award in honour of the late agri-leader and Nuffield scholar, Padraig Walshe who passed away last February. In addition to hearing the research findings from returning Nuffield 2022 scholars, attendees will have the opportunity to be introduced to the successful candidates for 2024.
The conference’s theme topic will be discussed by agri-communicator and keynote speaker Amy Jackson, director of Oxtale and Nuffield UK 2012 Scholar. In further commemoration of Padraig Walshe’s memory, a fireside-style chat with two of his close friends, Matt Ryan and Matt O’Keeffe, will reminisce his many achievements and his record of challenging the accepted wisdom.
Speaking about the inaugural Padraig Walshe Award, Joe Leonard, Nuffield Ireland chair, said: “This award will be given annually to the best presentation by a returning scholar, as voted on by the conference attendees. The award will include a beautiful perpetual trophy which is Ronan Halpin’s Queen Maebh’s Bull and a ticket to a major international agricultural conference or event. Our 2022 scholars will be the first to compete for the Nuffield Ireland Padraig Walshe Award. This award will honour Padraig’s memory and legacy into the future.”
The presenting 2022 Nuffield scholars and their research topics are:
- Aoife Feeney: Identifying ways to encourage farmers to prioritise on-farm action for water quality.
- David Dolan: Net zero carbon emissions – challenges and opportunities for farmers and co-ops.
- Lance Woods: How can animal health positively impact our climate change targets?
- Pat Collins: The benefits of integrating dairy beef and crop production.
Nuffield Ireland has also just announced the details of the five individuals who will commence Nuffield scholarships in 2024: Michael Martin, Molly Garvey, Niall Hurson, Nick Cotter, and John Keane. Each will focus on an agri-research topic of their choice during the two-year Nuffield programme. This will involve international travel and connecting with the Nuffield global network. The objective of the Nuffield Ireland Farming Scholarship Trust is to identify future leaders of Irish agriculture and facilitate their ambition to bring about meaningful change for the benefit of their community.