Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently crowned Aileen Sheehan and Philip O’Leary of Whitechurch, Co. Cork the overall winners of the 2024 Dairygold Milk Quality and Sustainability Awards and Mallow regional award winners. The awards acknowledge the commitment of Dairygold Milk suppliers to achieving the highest standard quality of milk while adopting more sustainable farming practices.
This year’s awards also saw the introduction of a new category, the Young Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. The purpose of the new award category is to recognise the efforts of the next generation of dairy farmers who are demonstrating leadership, innovation, and a commitment to sustainable farming practices.
Farming together for four years
This year’s overall winners, Aileen and Philip have only been dairy farming together for four years on a fully leased holding near Whitechurch, milking 138 cows on a 125-acre milking block, with an additional 50 acres rented for silage and calves. They have focused heavily on long-term sustainability while producing high quality milk. Their proactive approach to implementing sustainable farming practices include reseeding over 90% of their grazing platform and using protected urea as their primary nitrogen source.
The judges were particularly impressed by Aileen and Philip’s enthusiasm, work ethic, and attention to detail. Their proactive approach to environmental initiatives stood out, including their early involvement in the Farming for Water EIP scheme. As part of their involvement in the scheme, they implemented measures such as sediment traps, tree planting, and a bunded drainage system to protect the nearby Glashaboy stream.
Resilience of farm families
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, guest of honour at the event, commended the role of family farming in Ireland and the importance of supporting it for future success: “The success we see in Irish farming today is a testament to the professionalism and resilience of our farm families. The dairy sector is a cornerstone of our rural economy and it is farmers, like those being honoured today, who are securing its future. Sustainability is central to that future and the commitment of these farmers to more sustainable farming practices is very encouraging, as they lay the groundwork for the next generation to thrive.”
Foundation of success
Speaking about the awards, Dairygold Chairperson Patrick Clancy said, “These awards are an important opportunity to recognise the hard work, dedication and consistency of our milk suppliers, who strive for excellence in milk quality. Their efforts are the foundation of Dairygold’s success. This year, we are especially proud to introduce the Young Dairy Farmer of the Year Award, a reflection of the emerging talent within our Co-Op and our commitment to fostering the next generation of dairy farmers.”
Congratulating the winners, Dairygold Chief Executive Michael Harte added, “Aileen and Philip are a fantastic example of what can be achieved through dedication, teamwork, and a forward-thinking approach to farming. Their efforts show that quality milk production and sustainability can go hand in hand. These award winners are not only leading by example today but helping shape the future of sustainable dairy farming among our Dairygold members.”
The awards were based on 2024 milk quality data from Dairygold’s 2,500 milk suppliers across Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Waterford. Eighteen finalists were shortlisted from each of the six Dairygold regions and assessed by a team of judges.