Tirlán and Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur are celebrating 50 years in partnership by opening applications for their third successive sustainable farming academy.

Some 20 farmers are again invited to enroll for the fully-funded year-long University College Cork (UCC) diploma in environment, sustainability and climate, which begins in September.

The diploma is delivered mainly online and is tailored to fit in with each farmer’s full-time on-farm responsibilities.

The accredited and fully-funded diploma is delivered through academic partner UCC.

As part of the course, participants are required to submit a number of assignments, all of which are scheduled during quieter times in the farming calendar.

Significant interest

There has been significant interest from farmers in completing the diploma, according to director of ingredients at Tirlán Aoife Murphy.

“This year marks a significant milestone for Tirlán and Baileys' relationship, as we celebrate 50 years in partnership this year and we are keen to continue to work closely to ensure we deliver a world-class, sustainable product and service.

"Tirlán first began supplying our high-quality cream for Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur in 1974 through our facility in Virginia, Co Cavan," she said.

Global sustainability marketing manager at Baileys Aisling Gorman said that it makes sense that they would work together to upskill farmers in sustainable farming practices.

"We believe the academy can deliver fundamental changes in farming practices and we are immensely proud to support this initiative and to acknowledge this first class of graduates. Together, we are working for change," she said.

Graduate view

Larry Hannon from Co Kildare is an academy graduate and dairy farmer.

“This is a brilliant programme and I’m delighted that our co-op is co-funding it.

"I signed up because I wanted to challenge myself, even though I’ve been farming for over 30 years. It gave me a deeper understanding of what I needed to do on farm to be more environmentally and economically sustainable and how to achieve both.

“I’ve applied much of what I’ve learnt. We’re putting in a significant solar project, we’ve fenced off our watercourses and I’ve a greater appreciation of the biodiversity corridor on my farm and how to nurture that.

"I never thought I’d go to college. I juggled the college workload with farming and rearing a family. It was a challenge, but it was so worth it," he said.

Rachel Creighton, who farms along with her family on the Kildare-Wicklow border, is one of 20 students studying at UCC at present.

“The Sustainable Farming Academy is brilliant. I come from a dairy farm. Water quality is a major focus on many farms.

"We’ve really good quality water and the academy has helped me focus on protecting that by looking at the projected nutrient flow on the farm and what could happen as a result of a significant rain event.

“Looking to the future, we’re now considering installing a silt tank for yard runoff and planting a riparian margin and/or extra hedgerows in strategic areas on our farm to prevent any potential water contamination.”

Awards

The recipients of this year’s bursary awards were also marked at the event.

Among this year’s bursary award winners were Joshua Mills from Kilcullen, Co Kildare, who is currently studying at UCD; Sinead Cusack from Dunmore East, Co Waterford, who is studying at UCC; Daniel Kennedy from Coolgreany, Gorey, Co Wexford, who is studying in Dundalk Institute of Technology and Michael Ryan from Ballingarry, Co Tipperary, who is studying at the South East Technological University.