Council grants permission for Agricultural College’s ‘Smart-Dairy’ development
The radical expansion of the Mountbellew Agricultural College is set to continue apace after the second major development announcement in a week.
Hot on the heels of the Government’s decision to select the facility – as part of the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) – as the second provider of Veterinary Medicine education in Ireland comes Galway County Council’s decision to allow construction of a new dairy facility at the Mountbellew campus.
The local authority granted permission to Mountbellew Agricultural College (MAC) to replace the current facilities with a new, state-of-the art suite of buildings.
The new development will include milking parlour, animal handing facility, dedicated classroom and training room, viewing gallery and canteen.
The Principal of Mountbellew Agricultural College, Dr Edna Curley, described the news as ‘a huge boost for everybody’.
“The new facility will provide our learners with the opportunity to study in new state-of-the art facilities, providing an immersive learning experience underpinned by sustainable farm production and performance,” she said.
“The facility will vastly improve the quality of our training, and it has been designed to ensure we maintain our ethos of strongly practical and applied programmes," she added.
The new 1,279 sqm dairy building project has been developed by MAC in association with its partners Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Teagasc and is of strategic importance to MAC and its partners.
MAC is a campus of ATU and delivers programmes in Agri-Business, Agri-Engineering and Agri-Environmental with the university.
Similarly, MAC is a partner college of Teagasc and delivers the Certificate in Agriculture and Advanced Certificates in Dairy Management, Drystock Management and Mechanisation.
The proposed facilities will be equipped with the latest technology to allow for innovative and flexible new approaches to training and also support sustainable farm production.
ATU President Dr Orla Flynn saluted the team at Mountbellew Agricultural College for their vision and foresight.
“This new development is a big step forward for all our agri-related programmes. ATU is proud to be a partner with MAC, and to have such strong collaboration across a whole range of programmes that are relevant for our region and far beyond,” she said.
And it follows last week’s announcement by the Government that ATU has been selected as the second provider of Veterinary Medicine education in Ireland.
The new veterinary school aims to address the increasing demand for veterinary professionals, particularly in rural areas, while significantly boosting educational opportunities in the West and Northwest regions of Ireland.
ATU’s new Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) programme will open its doors to a new generation of Irish veterinary students, providing them with world-class education closer to home.
The new BVMS programme will be delivered through a dual-campus model, primarily based at ATU Donegal in conjunction with Mountbellew Agricultural College.
This innovative approach will allow students to benefit from ATU’s cutting-edge facilities, practical experience in rural environments, and a strong focus on large-animal care, an area in which Ireland faces particular shortages.
Subject to programme validation and other required approvals, ATU aims to commence this programme in September 2025 with an initial intake of 30 students.
Pictured: Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, Dr Edna Curley, Principal of Mountbellew Agricultural College and Dr Joanne Gallagher, Head of the Faculty of Science and Health at ATU Donegal.