September 11, 2025

WE are delighted to be part of the SEEFA forestry Hub, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at National Ploughing Championship in 2025. 

The event is run over the 16th to 18th of September, in Screggan, Tullamore, County Offaly and promises to be another amazing and fun filled championships.

Green Belt will be taking part in a series of panel discussions and we look forward to hosting Minister Healy Rae at the Hub.

Details of the panels are below:

September 16th

10:45 - 11:00 | Welcome and Opening                         

Hosted by Michael Healy-Rae with:

·       Michael Duignan – Gaelic Games Administrator & Chairperson of the Offaly GAA

·       Teige Ryan – Director at None-So-Hardy & P.R.O. at SEEFA

11:00 - 11:45| Improving Forestry: Ireland’s Path Forward              

Hosted by Michael Duignan with:

·       Prof. Cathal O'Donoghue – Established Chair of Social & Public Policy at the University of Galway

·       Conor Daly – Managing Director at The Forestry Company and Treasurer at SEEFA

·       Minister Michael Healy-Rae – Minister of State with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

·       Padraig Stapleton – Forestry Committee Chair at the Irish Farmers Association

14:30 - 15:15| Forests & the Climate Crisis                         

Hosted by Michael Duignan with:

·       Cara Augustenborg – Head of & Assistant Professor in Environmental Policy at University College Dublin and Member of The Climate Change Advisory Council

·       Hugo McCormick – Group CEO at Green Belt and Vice Chairman at SEEFA

·       John Fitzgerald – Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics at Trinity College Dublin and Research Affiliate at the Economic & Social Research Institute

·       Yvonne Buckley - Co-Director of the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water & Chair of Zoology at Trinity College Dublin and Member at The Climate Change Advisory Council

September 17th

11:00 - 11:45| Planting for Biodiversity: Protecting Ireland’s Heritage            

Hosted by Ivan Yates with:

·       Ray Ó Foghlú – Project Lead at Hometree and Coastal Programmes Officer at Clean Coasts

·       Richard Mulcahy – Founder at 100 Million Trees Project 

·       John Kavanagh – Nursery Manager at None-So-Hardy and Member at SEEFA

·       John Case – Forestry Advisor at Teagasc                          

14:30 - 15:15| Eye of the Storm: Irish Forestry After Éowyn    

Hosted by Ivan Yates with:

·       Donal Whelan – Director at the Irish Timber Growers Association and Technical Director at Commercial Forestry Services Ltd.

·       Gavin Adkins – Director at Euroforest Holdings and Founder at Hatton House Consulting

·       Paddy Bruton – Managing Director at Forestry Services Ltd & Euroforest Ireland Ltd and Assistant P.R.O.  at SEEFA

·       Padraig Egan – General Manager at SWS Forestry and President at SEEFA

·       Padraig Stapleton – Forestry Committee Chair at the Irish Farmers Association

September 18th

11:00 - 11:45| Bridging Fields and Forests through Agroforestry             

Hosted by Ivan Yates with:

·       Clive Bright – Organic Farmer

·       Colm Gilheaney – Establishment Manager at Western Forestry Co-op

·       Eugene Curran – Forestry Inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

·       Maureen Kilgore – Manager at the Irish Agroforestry Forum and Vice President at the European Agroforestry Federation

12:30 – 13:15| Timber First Policy & Certification          

Hosted by Ivan Yates with:

·       Kevin Kenneally – Member  of the Irish Timber Council and Head of Procurement at GP Wood

·       Paddy Bruton – Managing Director at Forestry Services Ltd & Euroforest Ireland Ltd and Assistant P.R.O.  at SEEFA

·       Richard Walsh – Forestry Inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine           

·       Robert Windle – Forestry Inspector at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine           

13:15 - 13:30| Closing & Raffle Draw

Hosted by Barry Delaney with:

·       Ivan Yates – Broadcaster, Businessman and former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

·       Teige Ryan – Director at None-So-Hardy & P.R.O. at SEEFA