WALSH SCHOLARS PROGRAMME NATIONAL EVENT, TEAGASC, ASHTOWN, MARCH 21st 2025.
Thank you to all the staff and students at Teagasc for inviting me to be guest speaker.
It was a great experience being amongst the PhD students. I know how daunting and fulfilling the PhD journey can be.
The event opened with the Assistant Director of Research, Declan Troy, welcoming everyone. After my speech, Jane Kelleghan, Ashtown Walsh Scholar Committee Rep spoke about social events and community. Next to speak was Elena Anedda, who has recently completed her PhD. Elena spoke about life moving from Italy to Ireland during Covid and starting a PhD. The event closed with Jane Kavanagh, Head of Research Development and Walsh Scholarships giving a closing address.
We then had lunch followed by the poster exhibition.
I went around and looked at all the posters presented by the students about their PhD work. It brought me back to my old days of when I was doing my PhD.
When looking at the posters I spoke with Eimear about one of her students who has a fascinating research project going about our use of the food 'peas' in Ireland.
In the afternoon we had the opportunity to go on a campus tour to see the Mushroom research unit. Thank you to Brian McGuinness for giving so much of his time showing the process in analysing the mushrooms.
Wishing all the students the best as they continue their studies.
