Tributes paid to co-operatives pioneer Brennan

TRIBUTES were paid yesterday to Reddy Brennan, the former group managing director of Avonmore Creameries, who has died.

He played a key role in developing Avonmore, which merged with Waterford Co-op in 1997 (13 years after he retired) to form what is now global food firm Glanbia.

Mr Brennan, 85, a native of Hugginstown, Co Kilkenny, served as manager of Muckalee Co-op before being appointed in 1966 as group managing director of Avonmore, which was then a loose federation of co-op creameries. He succeeded in bringing 36 independent co-ops from Tipperary, Kilkenny, Laois and Kildare together with Unigate to build a milk processing plant in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, for butter and skim milk powder.

Glanbia managing director John Moloney said Mr Brennan was an iconic figure in the dairy industry and a man of great vision.

“He recognised the potential of the EEC for Irish dairy farmers and worked with ICOS to persuade 21 of the independent co-ops to amalgamate in 1973. This took unique skills, conviction and patience,” said Mr Moloney.

“Reddy had a great sense of timing, together with gifted powers of persuasion. He used these very effectively to bring the co-op movement through the radical changes needed to meet the emerging needs of the industry,” he said.

Mr Brennan served on national bodies including Bord Bainne, the National Dairy Council, ACOT, AFT, FBD, Campus Oil, Norish and Toyota Ireland.

He was also chairman of the National Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal and a founder member of Mount Juliet Golf Club.