Greenmount Association bids farewell to CAFRE college director

At its annual charity fundraising event in the Wild Duck Inn, Portglenone, the Greenmount Association bade farewell to one of its most ardent supporters, CAFRE director, Dr John Fay OBE.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Feb 2016, 14:46 BST
Updated 17th Feb 2016, 06:21 BST
Greenmount Association committee members pictured with Dr John Fay at the recent association grill and ceilidh fundraising charity nightGreenmount Association committee members pictured with Dr John Fay at the recent association grill and ceilidh fundraising charity night
Greenmount Association committee members pictured with Dr John Fay at the recent association grill and ceilidh fundraising charity night

Association president, Andrew Blair, in presenting John with a Massey Ferguson Border Fine Arts model wished him a well-earned, long and happy retirement and thanked him for all his support over the years.

Dr Fay, who retired on the last day of 2015, praised the sterling work of the Greenmount Association in providing a social forum for past students to get away from the everyday humdrum, relax with old acquaintances and catch up with the latest industry developments.

It is a credit to the association, now in its 84th year, he said, to have such a vibrant membership and active calendar of events given the modern day demands on members’ time and the growing competition from social media websites.

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The second longest serving principal, (the late Matt Boyd having been principal from 1948 until 1984) Dr Fay has presided over some of the most far reaching changes at the college since its inception in 1912, including the amalgamation with Loughry and Enniskillen in 2004 to form a single college and the integration of the advisory service to bring education, training, technology and advice all under the control of the college.

Andrew reiterated the sentiments of the Greenmount Association members when he congratulated Dr Fay on the robust state in which he has left the college.

With record numbers of students enrolled and virtually all courses filled to capacity, major investment in world class facilities such as the new dairy unit and highly complimentary reports from external examiners, qualification awarding bodies and the Education and Training Inspectorate, few could argue with him. CAFRE (and Greenmount) has most certainly gone from strength to strength during Dr Fay’s 17 year tenure.

In his final farewell address Dr Fay explained that having chaired thousands of management and industry meetings, the toll of commuting half a million miles to work since 1998 had convinced him of the need to “hang up his boots” and spend some time with his young family.

But don’t be surprised if he pops up again as his enthusiasm, enterprise, experience and industry knowledge will no doubt be in big demand.