Teagasc confirm retirement of its Director Gerry Boyle

Professor Gerry Boyle , Director Teagasc at the Teagasc Hill Sheep Conference in Jacksons Hotel Ballybofey on Wednesday last. Photo Clive Wasson

Farming Independent Team Email

April 07 2021 11:51 AM

The Teagasc Authority announced today that Professor Gerry Boyle, who has led the organisation since October of 2007, will retire as Director in September. His initial seven-year contract was extended on two occasions.

Liam Herlihy, Chairman of the Teagasc Authority, thanked Professor Boyle for his excellent leadership in Teagasc and in the wider agri-food sector. He also confirmed that the process to appoint a new Director will shortly be initiated.

During Professor Boyle’s period at the helm, Teagasc has experienced many profound changes from the moratorium on recruitment and wage cuts in the wake of the 2009 recession to the current pandemic.

In that time Teagasc has focussed on adjusting to change with the support of staff and stakeholders. On the international front, Teagasc has established a reputation for working at the cutting edge in terms of research and advisory activity.

On the domestic front, Teagasc has led on the analysis of the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and in responding through pointing the scientific way forward in relation to the sustainability agenda, especially on climate change.

Over that period Professor Boyle has focused on resolutely improving Teagasc’s scientific excellence, its responsiveness to the needs of farmers and food companies and its policy relevance. Teagasc has managed to navigate a difficult path between articulating the scientific interests of Ireland’s Agri-food sector, while maintaining its scientific independence.

As Director, Professor Boyle has received many personal accolades, most notably, the bestowal of the Academic Palm by the Government of France in 2017 and the conferring of an Honorary Degree in Science by UCC in 2019. He was also elected President of Euragri in 2018 which is the EU network for public agri-food research and innovation organisations. And for the last five years he has served as an ex officio member of the Climate Change Advisory Council.