Large crowd expected at FBD Hall of Fame awards next month
In Athlone next month, the FBD National Hall of Fame Awards will be celebrating 21 years of acknowledging and honouring representatives of the bovine, equine and ovine industries in Ireland, who over the years, have given outstanding service, dedication and commitment in the promotion of their respective breeds.
On Sunday, May 4, in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, Pat Gilligan, Head of Sales Midlands and West FBD Insurance, will present the 23 nominees from the bovine, equine and ovine industries in Ireland with their awards before an expected 400 guests who will dine, wine, and dance to the country and western sounds of the TR Dallas Band.
At the upcoming event, Pat Mc Donagh, founder and Managing Director of Supermacs, was selected to receive the 2025 FBD National Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year's 'FBD National Hall of Fame Farmers Oscar' award, meanwhile, will go to Kieran Supple, founder and Managing Director of Reap Interactive in Boyle, county Roscommon.
Michael Flanagan, who is the CEO of the FBD National Hall of Fame Awards, and his son Oliver, who is secretary, wish to thank all the sponsors and breed Societies who have supported the event over the past 21 years and hopefully many more years to follow.
"Who would have imagined way back in 2003, when the first awards ceremony took place in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone, that in 2025 we would be still acknowledging and honoring those heroes?" they said.
"Were it not for our loyal sponsors any of this would not be possible, and to all of you, may I say a very sincere thank you.
"FBD Insurance, in recent years, has become our Title Sponsor with the Roscrea, Co Tipperary based Herdwatch, sponsoring the bovine section and the Keapak Group sponsoring the ovine section.
"We are also fortunate with our associated sponsors like Certified Irish Angus Producer Group, Aurivo/Homeland, Bord- Bia, Irish Farmers Journal and Farming Independent. We are also indebted to the local press and radio.
"We have a huge selection of Nominee sponsors of which we are most grateful for the support. The Sheraton Hotel, Athlone has been our venue for the awards ceremony over the last number of years, where nominees and guests are treated like royalty," they concluded.