May saw the 2026 Nuffield International Triennial hosted in Ireland under the directorship of its chairperson, Gráinne Dwyer, dairy farmer and communications consultant from Co Laois.

Gráinne farms alongside her husband Jim, and their son Jonathan. She is a Nuffield scholar herself and is a passionate advocate for women in agriculture. Assisting her was a hard working organising committee. It was a mammoth task to organise the study tour that began in the north of Ireland on the farm of Campbell Tweed in cold weather and culminated in Cork in the sunshine.

Chatting to Campbell, he told me the rain held off for the visit. As the week went on, Ireland blossomed, the grass jumped out of the ground and over 50 farm visits must have been quite spectacular before reaching the final destination in Cork. Along with the farm tours, there were appropriate agri business destinations and cultural events.

Nuffield scholars at home

Tim and Colm are both Nuffield scholars and their travels really enhanced their outlook and understanding of global food production and policy formation.

Great friendships were also forged. Jim McCarthy and the late Padraig Walshe were the first two Nuffield scholars. Margaret Twomey told me that Padraig was remembered poignantly at the agri summit. He made a huge contribution to the development of Irish agriculture.

Tim did his study tour in the second year of its inception in Ireland. As a result, he likes to attend and sometimes mentor the younger scholars. He also enjoys catching up with the more established scholars whose agri businesses have gone in all interesting directions.

Too many of our farmers suffer with mental health issues, and it is hugely important that they are supported to focus on their general wellness because one follows the other.

I’ve always liked to attend too, but my chemotherapy fell right in the middle of it. It ruled out the conference for Tim, and Bloom for me this year. Anyway, we had a window of opportunity to attend the closing dinner in Maryborough House in Cork. Our friends Johnny and Rosaleen Butterly were attending too. Johnny was deeply involved with the organising committee. He gave an insight into a year of planning what turned out to be an extremely successful study tour doing Irish Nuffield scholars proud.

Catching up was lovely and as you can imagine the chat was about our children and grandchildren. We had lovely times with the Butterlys in Co Louth when our teenage kids played on their homemade water raft in the stream close to their farm.

Chat and connections

Everyone we met at the dinner was very impressed with the farms and places they had visited. I sat with a lady from Nebraska in the USA. She and her husband had been soya and grain farmers. Their son is now running the business. Another lady, Kristen Kelderman, got in touch to chat about mental health and resilience during my farming life. We made a date for her to visit the day after the closing event. Too many of our farmers suffer with mental health issues, and it is hugely important that they are supported to focus on their general wellness because one follows the other.

Mike Brady of Brady Group is the Nuffield International chairman, and this must be a huge honour for him. It is a wonderful opportunity to put an Irish stamp on the leadership of Nuffield and expand on the already numerous countries that are involved. The group of this year’s scholars have already started their Global Focus Programme (GFP). The 14 weeks away are a huge opportunity for travel and development.

If you have a son or daughter farming or in agri industry, encourage them to apply for a Nuffield scholarship. All in the name of worthwhile education.