Beef herd health researcher at Teagasc, Dr. John Donlon is set to leave his position to join a new vet school, one of two announced last year.

Dr. Donlon will join Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal in May, in order to aid in setting up the course curriculum.

With campuses both in counties Donegal and Galway, ATU is one of two new vet colleges - the other confirmed as South East Technological University (SETU) in Kilkenny.

Dr. Donlon joined Teagasc in 2023, after graduating with a degree in veterinary medicine from University College Dublin (UCD) in 2018. He went into farm animal practice in south west Wales for a year after graduation.

He then returned to UCD to pursue a PhD and specialisation in bovine herd health. He has varied research interests that encompass respiratory disease, calving difficulties and summer scour syndrome.

ATU plans to deliver a full-time, undergraduate programme in veterinary medicine which will have a dual campus delivery model between ATU Donegal and ATU Mountbellew, building on existing expertise and facilities within the university.

The university previously said it hoped to commence the course in September 2025, however, recently told Agriland that the university is “chomping at the bit”, and it is hoping for the course to be available for CAO selection this November 2026.

Delivery of the programme is subject to validation and professional accreditation requirements. The course cannot be listed in CAO prior to validation.

The final composition and distribution of places and entry requirements for the programme will be communicated to all stakeholders following completion of the validation process.

Funding worth €50 million was made available for the establishment of the two vet schools, split between the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.