I’m always interested in keeping up to speed on recent Teagasc moves. There are three managers under the Teagasc boss Frank O’Mara, namely Pat Dillon, head of research, Stan Lalor head of knowledge transfer (KT) and Alan Phelan, head of operations.
On the KT side reporting to Stan, there are two senior managers Ann Marie Butler, head of education, formerly Ulster Bank, and Tom Curran head of advisory services. Tom was previously boss of the advisory side of the house in west Cork, one of the two area divisions in Cork.
So, who are the runners and riders to fill the now vacant west Cork role? The whispers I’m hearing are Michael Connolly who previously held the role on an interim basis, so he has to be in with a shout, or will head of the sheep KT programme Michael Gottstein throw his hat in the ring?
Clonakilty Agricultural College principal Keith Kennedy can’t be forgotten. Senior adviser and milk quality expert Don Crowley has been mentioned too or perhaps Gráinne Hurley might move from the Dairygold joint programme?
There are a host of other senior and experienced advisers down that neck of the woods such as Mark Treacy, Pauline O’Driscoll and Seamus Lordon, so my bet is some of the aforementioned eight staff members are in pole position.
