Former chair of Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Longford dairy farmer Mike Magan was conferred with an honorary doctor of science degree by University College Dublin (UCD) on Tuesday 25 June.

The conferring of this honorary degree recognises Magan’s "extraordinary contribution" to the Irish dairy industry, to AHI, to UCD and to Irish society more broadly, a UCD School of Veterinary Medicine spokesperson said.

Magan was central to the establishment of AHI in 2009 and, serving as chair until 2021, created the opportunity for a partnership approach to animal health in Ireland, bringing together farmers, processors, animal health advisers and government.

Ireland exports 85% to 90% of beef and dairy production each year, to a combined value of €9.2bn in 2023.

Competitive

To remain competitive in a global market, there has been an ongoing need for continuous improvement in product quality, including the health and welfare of Ireland’s food producing animals, the spokesperson maintained.

"AHI has fundamentally changed the animal health landscape in Ireland and in his 13 years as AHI chair, Magan utilised all of his skills, as leader, team player and consummate communicator, shaping the strategic direction of the organisation and consistently pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible," they said.

At Magan's retirement as AHI chair in December 2021, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue noted: “Mike Magan has been and will continue to be one of the great leaders of the agri sector.

"Mike’s leadership in the space of animal health has ensured our sector is better placed to face the challenges we will encounter in the future.”

Throughout his professional career, Magan has also substantially impacted both the curriculum within the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and the work undertaken by private veterinary practitioners.

In particular, there has been a fundamental shift towards preventive herd health, underpinned by the AHI programmes, and this is strongly reflected in teaching and learning of veterinary undergraduates in the area of food animal production.

Mike continues to impact the future of the School of Veterinary Medicine as a member of its external advisory board.

Previous roles

Magan has also served as chair of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association, chair of Agri Aware, has been a board member of the the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, and chair and board member of Lakeland Dairies. He also sits on the board of the Agricultural Trust, publisher of the Irish Farmers Journal.

Magan is also well known for his charitable activities - notably, in 2020, he co-ordinated dairy co-operatives nationwide to arrange collection of over €300,000 in donations from dairy farmers for the Red Cross appeal for Yemen.