US ambassador visits Oak Park
Edward Sharp Walsh, ambassador of the United States of America to Ireland, with Teagasc chairperson Liam Herlihy and director Professor Frank O' Mara pictured in Teagasc Oak Park in front of a plaque that commemorates a financial contribution in the 1950s from the US government to establish An Foras Talúntais, the Agricultural Research Institute, in Ireland
THE US ambassador to Ireland Edward Sharp Walsh visited Carlow recently, where he was welcomed to Teagasc’s Oak Park facility. The visit highlighted the research and educational relationship between Ireland and the United States of America, which stretches back over 70 years.
During the visit, Teagasc chairperson Liam Herlihy and director Professor Frank O’Mara outlined how US government funding in the 1950s helped establish An Foras Talúntais, the Agricultural Research Institute, that was one of the predecessors of Teagasc.
The visit also showcased current collaboration between the two countries. The FAPRI-Ireland Partnership, formed in the mid-1990s between Teagasc and the Food and Agricultural Policy Institute at the University of Missouri, has developed economic models used to inform Irish agricultural policy and assess the impact of reforms on farm incomes.
The visit also discussed the close ties between Teagasc and many US universities, with a number of Teagasc staff having completed their PhDs in the USA and continue to maintain and develop close research collaborations.
To mark the occasion, Mr Herlihy presented ambassador Walsh with copies of several books, including , a history of An Foras Talúntais, and a copy of , by Catherine Delaney.
