Royal Visit to Teagasc Grange

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The Royal couple were met and welcomed to Teagasc by Michael Creed T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Liam Herlihy, Chairman of Teagasc, on Wednesday, 4 March 2020. They were introduced to Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc, Councillor Wayne Harding, Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council and Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive of Meath County Council. Members of the Teagasc Authority were also present.

Paul Crosson and Edward O Riordan, beef researchers at Teagasc Grange showed the royal couple, three cows, each with twin calves, which are part of the Derrypatrick demonstration suckler herd at the Teagasc Animal and Grassland, Research and Innovation centre in Grange, County Meath. The steps taken on Irish cattle farms to ensure beef is produced in an environmentally sustainable way were outlined by Paul Crosson and Edward O Riordan who also spoke about the technologies that have been developed and adopted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the herd. 

The royal couple were introduced to Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management specialist who spoke about the initiatives on this farm and on other farms around the country to promote biodiversity and develop hedgerows so they are fit for both ‘birds and bees’, providing suitable nesting sites and berries for the birds, and plenty of flowers for pollinators.

The couple then met Teagasc Advisors Eilish Burke and William Byrne who introduced them to farmers, Ronan Hughes, Justin Walsh, Teleri Thomas, David Hannon, and Donal Keane who spoke about what they are doing to farm with nature on their respective farms. They told their stories of how they are using the best animal genetics, using grass based production systems, focused on reseeding and good paddock systems and in the case of Donal Keane how he is an Organic Demonstration farmer.

Eileen O’Reilly, the Principal of the Kiltale National School, Dunsany, County Meath, with 10 sixth class students were also in Grange to meet the Royal couple. The pupils had completed projects on farm to fork, food production and sustainability.

Before departing, the Royal couple were presented with a gift by Teagasc chairman, Liam Herlihy.