Gurteen College looked very well last Saturday as farmers from all over Ireland arrived for Sheep 2023.

The sunshine brought a smile to most sheep farmers’ faces but it’s also horses that are making principal Jon Parry smile – he expects an equine course to return to Gurteen College in September this year after a six-year absence.

With ministers Martin Heydon and Pippa Hackett both in attendance, Parry was vocal about the need for funds to upgrade new classrooms. He has a figure of €2.5m in mind for the new facilities.

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The college has already invested heavily in new dairy facilities in its farmyard, but Parry is keen to position Gurteen as more than just a dairy college, given its proximity to the west of Ireland.