The six participants, who are mostly dairy farmers, will receive a €14,000 travel bursary to complete a global learning agenda in 2017.

The six scholars are:

  • Lorcan Allen, the Irish Farmers Journal markets and commodities reporter and part-time suckler farmer from Co Offaly.
  • Owen Brodie, a dairy farmer from Co Cavan.
  • Bryan Hynes, a dairy farmer from Co Galway and former news journalist with the Irish Farmers Journal.
  • Niall O’Regan, a dairy farmers from Co Cork and former country manager for LIC Ireland.
  • Ed Payne, a dairy farmer from Co Roscommon who entered dairying in 2010.
  • Eamon Sheehan, a dairy farmer from Kilkenny who entered dairying in 2013.
  • Bill O’Keeffe, chairman of Nuffield Ireland, welcomed the six new participants.

    “We received 32 applications of a very high standard for these scholarships ... Following a two-stage interview process, the selection panel chose these six candidates to receive this award. I look forward to working with our new scholars as they engage in the Nuffield leadership development programme, work on their study topic and produce their report,” O’Keeffe said.

    The new scholars will be introduced and will give an outline of their study topic at the Nuffield Ireland annual conference in the Castleknock Hotel on Friday 14 October 2016.

    Nuffield Ireland awards scholarships with the support of its sponsors, namely the FBD Trust, the IFA, the Irish Farmers Journal, the Golden Jubilee Trust, Meat Industry Ireland, Aurivo, Glanbia, Dairymaster and LIC.

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