Four students have been presented with prestigious agricultural scholarships by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
The winners of the 2022 John Feely Foundation Scholarships were given their individual cheques for €1,500 at a reception held recently in the ICMSA’s head office in Limerick.
The sucessful students were: David Grehan of Portlaoise, Co. Laois; Kalum Buckley, Scartaglen, Co. Kerry; Peter Keane, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Waterford; and Gavin Larkin from Dunderry, Navan, Co. Meath.
The group had been previously selected for the scholarships at the ICMSA annual general meeting held on December 4.
ICMSA
ICMSA president, Pat McCormack, who presented the students with their cheques, appealed to the young farming students to remain in contact with the organisation into the future.
He also urged them to engage with their fellow farmers through responsible and coherent groups that could “analyse and help bring forward the solutions that would allow their own and future generations of Irish farmers to thrive”.
According to the ICMSA, the John Feely Foundation was established to commemorate the memory of the former president of the organisation of the same name.
The objective of the foundation is to provide financial support to individuals who intend to choose farming as a career or who wish to further their education as a farmer.
The annual scholarships are awarded to four students in their first year of an agricultural course at one of the following agricultural colleges: Clonakilty; Kildalton; Pallaskenry; Gurteen; Mountbellew; Ballyhaise; or studying an agriculture-related course in another third level institution.
The ICMSA head office, where the recent presentation took place, is also named John Feely House in recognition of the hugely influential early leader of the farming organisation.