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ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE NEW STUDENT TRAINING AND CONFERENCE CENTRE AT C

‘Darrara’ as Clonakilty Agricultural College is known throughout County Cork – has seen many changes since the first 17 students commenced training at the original college in 1905. Since then, of course, life in Ireland - particularly the rural way of life - has changed significantly – and those first 17 students would not recognise modern Irish farms if they were to se them today. Yet agriculture continues to be our largest indigenous industry. But it has changed from relying on highly manual operations - needing many hands - to a highly mechanised industry. That change has been brought about by the dedication and commitment of the people in Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority – and before that – the Agricultural Institute.

- Many of you here today – or some at any rate - may remember the sowing and picking of potatoes by hand - ploughshares drawn by horses and when silage was only a word in a dictionary. It is an image captured so effectively by Seamus Heaney in his poem ‘At a Potato Digging’,

“Processional stooping through the turf

Recurs mindlessly as autumn. Centuries

Of fear and homage to the famine god

Toughen the muscles behind their humbled knees,

Make a seasonal altar of the sod”

- Nowadays of course, while farming is still hard work, machines are ubiquitous, from the tractor to the combine harvester, and the milking machine even has cows under control!

- During that period of great change, the Agricultural Colleges have played an enormous part in promoting better farming practices through research and training – and instruction in best practices. As the focus of farming has shifted from predominantly mixed in the early part of the century – to the more specialised farms of today – and to the new farming areas which are coming on stream – agriculture is becoming more and more complex and multi-faceted and diversified –with both on and off-farm alternative enterprises.

- Membership of the European Union has benefited Ireland in many ways, and Ireland has made good use of the EU supports available - particularly the agricultural sector, where the substantial transfers generated by the enterprise of farmers’ percolate throughout the whole economy. The various EU and national training programmes introduced over the years have brought us from a situation where few farmers had any formal training, to a situation where it is a requirement of almost all grant-aided schemes that the applicant agrees to undertake a formal training course.

- Change is a feature of the modern world - and no less so in farming. This will bring challenges and opportunities. The great challenge that the agriculture faces is in the area of training and skills enhancement. Ireland plays a major role in European agriculture – a role that sees us as one of the key producers of quality food to the highest standards. Maintaining that position requires proper training – and re-training - at all levels. This new facility will provide state-of-the-art facilities with video and audio conferencing facilities – giving access to the best agricultural brains in the world – although I would have thought that most of them were already in Ireland – and therefore within easy reach!

- I know that the new facility – when complete – will meet the needs of many students and farmers – it will enable the college to develop its links with other institutions – such as the Cork Institute of Technology – and will facilitate development of new courses - like the Diploma in Dairying. These new developments will be crucial to our continued success in an enlarging Europe – and in maintaining the Agriculture Industry as a modern efficient industry in an increasing competitive world.

- I want to congratulate Teagasc on the fantastic role they have played in Ireland in the development of agriculture – in working to bring us into the modern age – and to be at the forefront in the application of technology and best practice in agriculture - and in the production of food. I am very happy therefore, to join with you today and to formally lay the foundation stone for the new centre – and to wish you continued success in your important mission - attending to the training and development needs of the farming community in Ireland.