15 February 2010

Claire Woods, Senior Lecturer, Greenmount Campus

The Northern Heat of the Institute of Horticulture Competition to find the top young horticulturist in Ireland took place at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus recently.

An excited buzz set the scene for what proved to be a closely fought competition. There was a large entry of over 70 students and they enthusiastically tackled the 45 multiple choice questions which were organised in rounds on subjects as diverse as garden history, fruit production, nursery stock, botany and hard landscape.

Claire Woods and Andrew Murdock acted as question masters and kept the questions coming thick and fast.

The highest mark for a competitor over 30 was achieved by Ita Milligan from Ardglass, a Foundation degree student studying part time at CAFRE. The results were as follows, in third place, Conor Kelly  from Belfast a first year foundation degree who was beaten narrowly as a result of a tie break question by a Ballyclare student Claire Scott also studying for the Foundation degree. The student with the highest mark of the afternoon was Darren Graham from Garrison Co. Fermanagh. Claire and Darren now go to the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin to compete in the Irish final.

Winners of the Greenmount heat of the Institute of Horticulture Young horticulturist of the Year quiz left to right: Ita Milligan from Ardglass winner of the over age category, Conor Kelly (Belfast) third place, Claire Scott Ballyclare second and the winner Darren Graham from Garrison. All the winners are students on the Foundation Degree in Horticulture.