Denis Pey was a respected figure in the Irish sheep farming community and a former crop technician at Teagasc Kildalton College. He served as a judge for the Young Sheep Farmers Skills Competitions at events.
Following his passing, a Denis Pey memorial cup was introduced for the winning team of a “Battle of the Colleges” sheep skills competition. This competition, sponsored by Irish Country Meats (ICM), involves students from agricultural colleges across Ireland competing in various practical sheep husbandry and technical challenges.
Recent Competition Winners
The most recent competition took place in June 2025:
- Winning Team: Ballyhaise Agricultural College.
- Highest Individual Score: Dan McLaughlin, representing Kildalton Agricultural College.
The competition events, which often involve Teagasc Athenry, Galway as a host venue for major sheep events like Sheep 2025, include tasks such as:
- Sheep handling and husbandry skills.
- Selecting lambs for slaughter and carcase evaluation.
- Sheep breed identification.
- Dosing strategies and techniques.
- Technical sheep knowledge quiz.
The photo shows the 2025 Young Sheep Farmers Skills Competition “Battle of the Colleges” winning team from Ballyhaise Agricultural College with the Denis Pey memorial cup with the student who won highest individual score from Kildalton Agricultural College, together with their teachers.
Thanks to Joe Day, Kildalton College for compiling the article
