Michael J. Walshe

Michael J. Walshe

Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture Science in 1954. He subsequently worked with Vitmin Ltd, Esso Oil Company and as an Agriculture Instructor in Longford. Michael then joined the department of Agriculture, based in Johnstown Castle, where he spent 2 years before his appointment as Officer in Charge, Moorepark in 1959. Following the establishment of Moorepark Research Centre in 1960, Michael Walshe was its pioneering leader in grassland and dairy production research. Basic objectives were focussed on eliminating the technical constraints in Irish dairy farming, e.g. by 1965 Moorepark had demonstrated that the stocking rate and grazing capacity of 2.5 cows per ha was an attainable target in response to moderate levels of fertilizer inputs. On the run up to Ireland’s entry to the EEC, he delivered the keynote paper- ‘Challenges to Farming in the Seventies’- to the Grassland members at the Association’s Winter Meeting held in Kilcoran Lodge, Cahir, February 12-13th 1971. This paper was reproduced later in the Irish Grassland Association/Irish Farmers’ Journal publication- ’60 Years of Progress’ – published in January 2008, pp 36-43. Michael spent 13 years in Moorepark and during this time was President of the Irish Grassland Association from 1966-1967. In 1961 he travelled to New Zealand and spent one year as a visiting Scientist at the Ruakura Research Station before returning to Moorepark. Michael joined the World Bank (Washington DC, USA) in 1971 and worked there until 1996, appraising and supervising Agriculture and Livestock projects. During his career Michael was a Board Member of NET, Muintir na Tire Council Member and British Dairy Technology Council member. He operated a dairy farm near Horse and Jockey, Tipperary until 2003.