Teagasc has made a new senior appointment at the Kildalton Agricultural College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, the organisation’s largest training college.
James Ryan will take up the post of assistant principal at Kildalton, who currently is a lecturer in dairy production, and also manages the 110 dairy cow enterprise on the college farm.
Ryan first qualified from the University of Wales in Aberystwyth with a degree in Agricultural Science, and has since achieved two further degrees.
Before coming to the college, Ryan worked as a Teagasc dairy business and technology advisor in Tipperary, and before that, he was an education officer for the organisation, a position that saw him based in Skibbereen, Co. Cork.
“I am really looking forward to this new role, as I am passionate about teaching and instilling a love of agriculture, and in particular dairy farming,” said Ryan.
Three of my former students have been awarded the title of FBD Young Farmer of the Year.
He added that: “The dairy herd in Kildalton provides an ideal information base for students to learn from. It is currently in the top 1% of herds in the country and is being managed in both an environmentally and economically sustainable way.”
Tony Pettit, head of Teagasc Education, wished Ryan success in the role, and said: “James brings to this role a wealth of experience in delivering education courses, both in theory and in terms of practical application on farms.”
He will work under college principal Paul Hennessy, and will take over from Tim Ashmore, who has joined the organisation’s Curriculum Development and Standards Unit.