Dundalk IT students to represent Ireland in Spain after big win in green farming challenge

Seven third-year students from the BSc (Hons) in Sustainable Agriculture programme at Dundalk IT will travel to Spain to represent Ireland, following their brilliant performances in the Green Job=Dream Job Video Competition.

The competition, which challenged students to create trailer videos on themes of sustainable agriculture, farm diversification, and green innovation, was organised by the AgriNext project. This Erasmus+ initiative brings together educational institutions from Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, and Ireland, and is administered in Ireland by Technological University of the Shannon. 

After tough competition, two teams from DkIT were selected to advance to the final round of the competition which will take place in Córdoba in April. The first DkIT team including Caoimhe Tully, Keva Keogh, Millie Rice, and Rachel White, were the winners of the Irish heat of the competition. The second team consisting of Lauren Acheson, Katie Cooney, and Chantelle Ging, has also earned the chance to compete in the grand final in Córdoba. DkIT students Michael McManus and Ryan Graham, were also recognised for their excellent participation in the competition.

Caoimhe Tully, a member of the winning team said: "We are absolutely delighted to have won a trip to Spain through the AgriNext competition, which is all about diversification in agriculture. It's an amazing chance to connect with other ag students across Europe and learn more about innovative farming ideas.”

Elaine Cleary, from the Sustainable Development Research Institute at TUS, recently visited DkIT to present the winning students with certificates and brief them on their upcoming trip to Spain. 

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As part of their prize, the students will travel to IES Galileo Galilei in Córdoba, where they will join their peers from Croatia, Slovenia, and Spain. Throughout the week, they will engage in an international exchange focused on innovation in agriculture, sharing skills and expertise with students from across Europe. 

Eamon Mullen, a lecturer in the Department of Agriculture, Food & Animal Health at DkIT said:

“It is fantastic to see our students being recognised for their commitment to this project across the themes of sustainable agriculture, farm diversification and green innovation. The opportunity to travel to Córdoba to share ideas and experiences around green skills will be invaluable for our students and will have a huge impact on their studies.”