I see Carlow IT’s new brewing and distilling course is to become one of only four programmes in the world recognised by the prestigious Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).

Walsh Whiskey Distillery is to give a €1,000 bursary to the brewing and distilling student who achieves the highest grades at the end of first year.

The Carlow IT course will be Ireland’s first official degree course in brewing and distilling.

I say official because I know several UCD agricultural science students who graduated with a first-class honours degree in both topics in the early noughties.