St.Vincent’s reach finals of Angus Beef Schools

ST. Vincent’s Secondary School, Dundalk are among over thirty school groups who are in the running to be selected as finalists in the Certified Irish Angus Beef schools competition.

The team, Aine McDonnell, Katie Quinn, Lucy Reidy, Aisling Gamble and Emma Gartlan, recently presented their project ideas to a panel of judges at an exhibition in Croke Park in the last week.

In the next few weeks, five finalists will be selected to receive five Irish Angus Cross calves which they will be required to rear for 18 months until their slaughter as part of their Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science curriculum.

The local students said they were very proud to have represented their town and their school in the major national event.

The Certified Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition run by the Irish Angus Producer Group, along with its processor partners, ABP Ireland and Kepak Group, aims to encourage second level students to gain an understanding about the care and attention that is required to produce and market the highest quality beef for consumers.

The project aims to allow students to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to a real life setting, and give them a better overall understanding of the agricultural sector.

Success in the project is not only a great accolade for the winning team, but the finalists will also receive the financial benefit involved in the selling of the animals to the processors on completion of the project.

The winning students also receive an additional grant of €2,000 for their further education.