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West Cork Farming Awards time again

June 23rd, 2019 9:25 AM

By Con Downing

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West Cork Farming Awards time has arrived once again as we seek nominations for the 5th annual awards, run by The Southern Star in conjunction with the Celtic Ross Hotel. 

WEST Cork Farming Awards time has arrived once again as we seek nominations for the 5th annual awards, run by The Southern Star in conjunction with the Celtic Ross Hotel. 

Nominations can be made through the form that is inserted into this week’s edition of The Southern Star or online by logging on to www.southernstar.ie/farmingawards   

Forms are also being distributed through the four West Cork co-ops, Bandon, Barryroe, Drinagh and Lisavaird – to whom we are extremely grateful for their co-operation. The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, July 12th, and they should be sent to: West Cork Farming Awards, Southern Star, Ilen Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork, or made online 

Being a predominantly rural area, it is appropriate to honour farmers, their families, workers and agri businesses in West Cork for their endeavour and achievements. 

Last year, once again, produced a very high calibre of winner, including Tim Crowley, Bandon (Young Farmer of the Year), Vanessa Kiely-O’Connor, Upton (Sustainability & Diversification), Cyril Draper, Enniskeane (Dairy Farmer of the Year), Denis O’Riordan, Kealkil (Drystock Farmer of the Year) and Joe Kelly, Eyeries (Hall of Fame).

This year there are five categories in which the general public gets to make nominations, as follows:

• Young Farmer award 

• Sustainability & Diversification

• Dairy Farmer of the Year 

• Drystock Farmer of the Year

• Hall of Fame award

There will again be a special Judges’ Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Farming Community. Last year’s inaugural award was won by Harold Kingston of Courtmacsherry.

We are now looking for nominations from people involved in farming, the agri industry and members of the general public of people they feel are worthy of being considered for these awards. Each winner will receive a specially-commissioned trophy and a prize to the value of €500.

Having chosen the category on the entry form for which you wish to make a nomination, tell us briefly why you think the person is deserving of this award, but make sure you tell the person you are nominating in case they do not wish to let their name go forward for consideration. People may also nominate themselves.

If you have any enquiries, call us on 028-21200.

Nominations are being accepted now and we would encourage people to get them in to us early as we will be profiling the shortlisted three nominees in each of the five categories in these West Cork Farming & Fisheries pages in August and September. 

The judging panel will again be chaired by Con Downing, editor of The Southern Star, and includes Tom Curran, regional manager of Teagasc Cork West; JJ Walsh, business advisor, and John Buckley, former Macra Young Farmer of the Year. Decisions of the judges will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The shortlists in the various categories will be announced in August and the winners will be presented with their awards during a gala West Cork farming family day in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, on Sunday, September 22nd next.  

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