Robyn Dowling is the Teagasc/ FBD Student of the Year for 2025
Robyn Dowling, Skerries, County Dublin, is the overall winner of the Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award. The awards were presented in Kilkenny today, Thursday 7 May, by Mr Noel Grealish TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The awards, sponsored by FBD, were presented to the top graduates of Teagasc Level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry training programmes in 2025.
The overall winner, Robyn Dowling completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horsemanship (Equitation) at the Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, County Kilkenny. In addition to winning the Overall Teagasc / FBD Student of the Year 2025 award she was also successful in the ‘Other Land Based Category’.
Two other category awards were presented.
Edmund Motherway from Ladysbridge, Midleton, County Cork won the ‘Full-Time Agriculture Category’. He completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Dairy Herd Management) in Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, County Kilkenny.
Bernadette Donohoe, from Kildavin, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, was successful in the ‘Part-Time and Distance Education Category’. She completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture at the Teagasc Tinahely.
Congratulating all the finalists in today’s awards, Teagasc Chairperson, Liam Herlihy said; “This is a proud day for you and your families and I want to congratulate you on being finalists in these awards.
“The agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry sectors need young people with new ideas and the right skill sets and knowledge to drive the development of the Irish land-based sectors. You epitomise the high calibre of student emerging from Teagasc education courses. I would like to thank FBD for their ongoing support for these awards,” the Teagasc Chairperson said.
Speaking at the awards, Michael Berkery, Chairman of FBD Trust, said; “FBD have been supporting the student of the year awards since their inception and are proud of our involvement in these awards. We value education as a vital contributor to a progressive, sustainable farming sector, which we have in Ireland today.
“The Teagasc/ FBD Student of the Year finalists are wonderful ambassadors for this sector, and we are proud to sponsor these awards which highlight their accomplishments. On behalf of the team at FBD, I would like to congratulate Robyn Dowling and all the finalists on their achievements and wish them every success in the future,” Michael Berkery said.
Dr Anne-Marie Butler, Head of Education in Teagasc said; “This is a great occasion for all the finalists, as we celebrate their achievements, and their learning journey with Teagasc. These awards showcase the agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry courses and the best students that have come through those. In Teagasc, we continuously strive to improve our education offering and it’s on days like this we see how you, the students, have embraced our education programme and blossomed as individuals ready to move to the next stage of your career. I congratulate all the finalists and wish you all the best in your future careers.”
Finalists
The other finalists in the awards were:
- Eileen Collins, Douglas, Co. Cork
- Róisín Corkery, Kinsealy, Co. Dublin
- Audrey Dunne, Drumcondra, Dublin
- Aoife Jones, Naas, Co. Kildare
- Jason Kelleher, Innishannon, Co. Cork
- Martha Langford, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny
- Eoin Loftus, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
- Shane McAuliffe, Dromagh, Mallow, Co. Cork
- Charmaine McDermott, Redcastle, Co. Donegal
- Colin Mullahy, Claremorris, Co. Mayo
- Oscar Ó Marcaigh, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
- Jack Stevenson, Lifford, Co. Donegal
- Beth Thornton, Mallow, Co. Cork
- Christina Tobin, Castletownroche, Co. Cork
For more information on the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year, visit here.