The death has occurred of Harry Kehoe, who led the potato breeding programme at Teagasc Oak Park for over 40 years.

Harry commenced with An Foras Taluntais (AFT), now Teagasc, in 1960. He was originally employed as a sugar beet breeder in Thurles but soon moved to Oak Park in Carlow where he began the potato breeding programme.

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Harry is described in Teagasc’s book, A Growing Knowledge – Fifty Years of Research and Development, as “one of Europe’s most renowned potato breeders”. Throughout his career, Harry worked closely with Irish Potato Marketing Potato Group Ltd, and many varieties released during his tenure continue to be successfully marketed and grown in over 40 countries worldwide. He retired in 2003.

Rooster

Rooster was one of more than 35 potato varieties bred by Harry Kehoe and his team. Since its launch in 1991, it has become the dominant potato variety in the Irish market, accounting for over 60% of plantings.

Cara has been the most successful potato variety bred in Oak Park to date. Almost 40 years after its release, it is still being grown in markets as diverse as the United Kingdom, Egypt and the Canary Islands. Cara was notable as being one of the first successful varieties with resistance to the Globodera rostochiensis strain of Potato Cyst Nematode.

Harry’s work in plant breeding was recognised in September 2016 when he was conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by the Faculty of Agriculture in University College Dublin.

Given that the potato is the fourth major food crop in the world after wheat, rice and maize, Harry’s achievements have left a lasting legacy around the globe.