Ballyhaise Agricultural College, in County Cavan celebrated its Centenary, on Saturday July 1.  The occasion was marked by a day long programme of events including the laying of a stone by the Minister of State, Brendan Smith T.D, at the Department of Agriculture to commemorate Ballyhaise College’s 100 year contribution to Irish agriculture.

Speaking in Ballyhaise, Chairman of the Teagasc Authority Dr. Tom O Dwyer said, “Since its establishment, the college has made, and continues to make, a significant contribution to the development and training of the farming population and those who work in the industry in the North West, the border counties and beyond.”

A book outlining the history of the college written by Michael Swords was launched. The book details how Ballyhaise provided some of the first courses for creamery managers and cheese makers. It was one of the three main agricultural research centres in the country up to 1959 and one of the first AI stations in Ireland operated from the college.

Today Ballyhaise College is one of the main agricultural training colleges in the country providing a wide range of higher education and training courses.  The college has recently developed a new add-on degree programme with the Dundalk Institute of Technology, which will give students an opportunity to study to degree level for a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.

Teagasc’s advisory services for counties Cavan and Monaghan are based in Ballyhaise, while the college is now intensively involved in the Teagasc research programme. This research is supported by local co-operatives, and is linked with the dairy research undertaken in Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork.