Former co-op chief executive wins award for lifetime of endeavour

THE former chief executive of Arranbawn Co-op Jimmy Murphy is the 2009 winner of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) Plunkett Award for co-operative endeavour.

ICOS president Pat McLoughlin said Jimmy Murphy has devoted over 48 years of his working life to the betterment of Irish agriculture. While much of this time was devoted to Nenagh Co-op, he also served with distinction on the boards of the Irish Dairy Board, Irish Co-op Society, and the National Dairy Council. “Jimmy played a leading role in developing the Irish dairy industry in the midlands by building creameries in non-traditional dairying areas,” he said.

“He played a key part in negotiating the merger of many small creameries into Nenagh Co-op and was later instrumental in the merger of Nenagh Co-op and Mid-West Co-ops to form Arrabawn.”