RDS Horticulture Award for Former Banker
4 February, 2004
Linda Kelly, a graduate of the Teagasc College of Horticulture, Kildalton, Piltown, Co Kilkenny has today been named the 2003 RDS Horticulture Student of the Year.
She was presented with a perpetual trophy, RDS silver medal and a check for €1,500 in a ceremony held in front of the entire student body at Kildalton College by David Cornwall, Chairman of the RDS Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
The award is made to the top student in the four horticultural colleges in Ireland –three in the Republic and one in Northern Ireland. Linda was one of eight students short listed for the award and was selected for the premier award by a panel of judges drawn from industry.
A native of Portlaoise, Linda graduated with a diploma in horticulture from Kildalton Horticultural College last June and is currently working at the Clonmel Garden Centre, which is also where she undertook her college work experience. She intends to use the prize money to gain a qualification in garden design through distance learning while she continues to work full-time. Her long-term ambition is to establish her own garden centre.
Linda left a career in banking to take up horticulture and is delighted with her new career path. "Horticulture is a wonderful and interesting subject and there is so much to learn. I am very keen to increase my knowledge and capabilities in the area and do some more study. The RDS Horticulture Student of the Year Award is a major accolade to have on my resume and I am sure it will benefit my future career," she said.
Michael Conlon, Director of the Teagasc college at Kildalton, described Linda as one of a growing number of talented young people opting for careers in the rapidly expanding amenity horticultural area.
“The value of the garden products and landscape services sector in the Republic of Ireland last year amounted to €230m, making it one of the most vibrant sectors in the economy. This is the second year in a row for a Kildalton College graduate to have won this prestigious award. (Stephen Dempsey from Cork won the award for 2002) This is a particular honour for the college and for Teagasc,” said Michael Conlon.
The structure of the RDS Horticulture Student of the Year Award has changed for 2004. All final year diploma students at the four colleges are invited to enter for the award. Entry forms are available from the RDS Agriculture Department tel 01 240 7215 or by emailing patrick.mcdermot@rds.ie. Entries will close on Friday 26th March and the 2004 Award will be presented in June 2004 at the winning student’s college.
