The Irish Angus Schools competition is going from strength to strength and is now in it's sixth year.

The aim of the competition is to encourage secondary school students to become involved on their family farms and to gain an understanding as to how beef is produced on those farms as well as to learn about the production, processing and marketing of animals.One hundred and nine groups of students entered this year's competition.

Five finalists are selected from this list and they are presented with their six-month old calves at the Ploughing Championships annually.

Students then rear these calves through to slaughter to coincide with their Leaving Certificate agricultural science project.

Each school is assigned a theme for their project ranging from understanding consumers to genetics to management of the the calves.

The students will write reports on the lifetime performance of the animals and will visit farms, processing facilities to gain an understanding of how the beef industry works.

This year's finalists:

  • Sligo Grammar School, Sligo, Co Sligo.
  • St Aloysius' College, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork.
  • Castleknock College, Castleknock, Co Dublin.
  • Moate Community School, Moate, Co Westmeath.
  • St Louis Community School, Kiltimagh, Co Mayo.