Every year, Teagasc recognises their top graduates at the Teagasc/FBD student of the year award ceremony, and this year was no different.
After a long selection process, 17 finalists attended an award ceremony last week in the Lyrate Estate, Co Kilkenny. The awards, sponsored by FBD, were presented to students across Teagasc Level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry training programmes in 2025.
Speaking about the awards, Dr Anne Marie Butler, head of education in Teagasc says, “We’re very fortunate in Teagasc, we are spread across seven colleges and regions. We have thousands of learners come to us every year, and people have good experiences locally. Having this competition is an opportunity to recognise all of that at a national level. To even be even a finalist is a huge achievement. We had 17 finalists on the day selected out of about 4,000 people. That’s a huge milestone to celebrate.”
The overall winner, Robyn Dowling, completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in horsemanship (equitation) at Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny. In addition to winning the award, Robyn was also successful in the other land-based category.
“We have courses in agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry. It’s super that an equine student has won. But it is also a further demonstration of the depth of careers and courses on offer to students in the land-based sector,” says Anne Marie.
Pictured at the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards 2025: Liam O'Herlihy, Frank O'Mara, Robyn Dowling with her grandmother Patricia and boyfriend Ian Dwyer, Noel Grealish, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Anne Marie Butler and Michael Berkery./Finbarr O’Rourke
Stand out student
Although Robyn was originally shocked when she was named the overall national winner, she says, “it is finally setting in”.
Living in Skerries, on the outskirts of Dublin, Robyn was surrounded by agriculture growing up as both her grandparents and parents farmed.
“My grandad was a vegetable farmer – he had a farm in Hacketstown, Co Carlow. He had horses originally that would have been used to plough the fields, so the interest in horses is probably from there. My dad was a vegetable farmer, but 20 years ago, he was sick with Crohn’s disease. He wasn’t able to farm for 10 years; since then, he moved into tillage,” says Robyn.
They opened a livery yard and started looking after people’s horses.
“We were never pushed into farming. My mom used to work in an equestrian centre and is big into horses. I never rode horses when I was younger, but when I was eight, I definitely caught the bug. I got my first pony when I was 11 and joined the Louth pony club and worked my way up with assessments,” says Robyn.
Wanting to do something within teaching and horses, Robyn came across the course in Kildalton.
“It was a big adjustment from living at home in Dublin to moving into student accommodation, but I had a great time and made fantastic friends who will be friends for life,” says Robyn.
She found the practical aspect of the course particularly beneficial especially the young horse training and breaking module in second year, where she learned how to work with different horses.
“There aren’t many places around the country where you learn how to break in a horse and prepare them for sales under full-time supervision, which definitely stood out to me,” she explains.
After finishing her course in Kildalton, Robyn completed her stage three coaching and opened up her own riding school, Hacketstown Stud Stables, in July 2025. She is looking forward to growing the business over the next few years.
For Anne Marie, Robyn was a standout and worthy winner.
“Robyn is Dublin-based, she came across the course in transition year, and she knew from reading the perspectives that this was the course for her. Now she’s really living it – operating her horse-riding school and livery yard. For such a young person, she has a huge amount of experience under her belt,” says Anne Marie.
Other awards on the day were given to Edmund Motherway from Ladysbridge, Midleton, Co Cork, who won the award in the full-time agriculture category. He completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in agriculture (dairy herd management) at Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny.
Bernadette Donohoe, from Kildavin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, was also successful in the part-time and distance education category. She completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in agriculture at Teagasc, Tinahely.
Skerries' Robyn Dowling took home the crown at the Teagasc/FBD student of the year awards for 2025.
Other finalists included:
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.
Every year, Teagasc recognises their top graduates at the Teagasc/FBD student of the year award ceremony, and this year was no different.
After a long selection process, 17 finalists attended an award ceremony last week in the Lyrate Estate, Co Kilkenny. The awards, sponsored by FBD, were presented to students across Teagasc Level 6 agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry training programmes in 2025.
Speaking about the awards, Dr Anne Marie Butler, head of education in Teagasc says, “We’re very fortunate in Teagasc, we are spread across seven colleges and regions. We have thousands of learners come to us every year, and people have good experiences locally. Having this competition is an opportunity to recognise all of that at a national level. To even be even a finalist is a huge achievement. We had 17 finalists on the day selected out of about 4,000 people. That’s a huge milestone to celebrate.”
The overall winner, Robyn Dowling, completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in horsemanship (equitation) at Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny. In addition to winning the award, Robyn was also successful in the other land-based category.
“We have courses in agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry. It’s super that an equine student has won. But it is also a further demonstration of the depth of careers and courses on offer to students in the land-based sector,” says Anne Marie.
Pictured at the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year Awards 2025: Liam O'Herlihy, Frank O'Mara, Robyn Dowling with her grandmother Patricia and boyfriend Ian Dwyer, Noel Grealish, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Anne Marie Butler and Michael Berkery./Finbarr O’Rourke
Stand out student
Although Robyn was originally shocked when she was named the overall national winner, she says, “it is finally setting in”.
Living in Skerries, on the outskirts of Dublin, Robyn was surrounded by agriculture growing up as both her grandparents and parents farmed.
“My grandad was a vegetable farmer – he had a farm in Hacketstown, Co Carlow. He had horses originally that would have been used to plough the fields, so the interest in horses is probably from there. My dad was a vegetable farmer, but 20 years ago, he was sick with Crohn’s disease. He wasn’t able to farm for 10 years; since then, he moved into tillage,” says Robyn.
They opened a livery yard and started looking after people’s horses.
“We were never pushed into farming. My mom used to work in an equestrian centre and is big into horses. I never rode horses when I was younger, but when I was eight, I definitely caught the bug. I got my first pony when I was 11 and joined the Louth pony club and worked my way up with assessments,” says Robyn.
Wanting to do something within teaching and horses, Robyn came across the course in Kildalton.
“It was a big adjustment from living at home in Dublin to moving into student accommodation, but I had a great time and made fantastic friends who will be friends for life,” says Robyn.
She found the practical aspect of the course particularly beneficial especially the young horse training and breaking module in second year, where she learned how to work with different horses.
“There aren’t many places around the country where you learn how to break in a horse and prepare them for sales under full-time supervision, which definitely stood out to me,” she explains.
After finishing her course in Kildalton, Robyn completed her stage three coaching and opened up her own riding school, Hacketstown Stud Stables, in July 2025. She is looking forward to growing the business over the next few years.
For Anne Marie, Robyn was a standout and worthy winner.
“Robyn is Dublin-based, she came across the course in transition year, and she knew from reading the perspectives that this was the course for her. Now she’s really living it – operating her horse-riding school and livery yard. For such a young person, she has a huge amount of experience under her belt,” says Anne Marie.
Other awards on the day were given to Edmund Motherway from Ladysbridge, Midleton, Co Cork, who won the award in the full-time agriculture category. He completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in agriculture (dairy herd management) at Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny.
Bernadette Donohoe, from Kildavin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, was also successful in the part-time and distance education category. She completed the Level 6 advanced certificate in agriculture at Teagasc, Tinahely.
Skerries' Robyn Dowling took home the crown at the Teagasc/FBD student of the year awards for 2025.
Other finalists included:
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. 
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