Limerick couple top this year's Dairygold Milk Quality Awards

Dairygold Milk Quality Award winners Gearoid Maher and Sarah Birrane are pictured with Paul O'Connell, Dairygold, on their farm at Killuragh, Cappamore, Co Limerick. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Limerick dairy farmers Gearoid Maher and Sarah Birrane were declared the overall winners of the 2021 Dairygold Milk Quality Awards.

The husband and wife team from Killuragh, Cappamore, also topped the Limerick region for consistently supplying the best quality milk to Dairygold in 2021.

The herd of 80 Pedigree Friesian cows produced 500 kg of milk solids per cow in 2021 with an average Somatic Cell Count (SCC) of 118 and Total Bacterial Count (TBC) of 9.

The judging panel were impressed by Gearoid and Sarah’s efforts across the farm to show how nature and farming can work side-by-side. Gearoid is a Farming for Nature Ambassador and is also involved in an EIP project focused on water quality.

They have also implemented various sustainability measures on-farm, such as nitrogen reduction on the platform, the use of selective dry cow therapy and abstaining from pesticide application for two years.

The awards were based on 2021 milk quality data for all 2,700 Dairygold milk suppliers across counties Cork, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare. 

While adhering to Covid-19 protocols and guidelines, the judges visited the 18 shortlisted farms to review their farm enterprises first-hand. The review took account of milk quality, dairy facilities, herd health and welfare, sustainability and general efficiencies and farm health and safety.

Commenting, Dairygold chairman John O’Gorman said: “2021 was fraught with the challenges of Covid-19 and rising input costs towards the end of the year. Despite these challenges, Dairygold’s milk suppliers continued to provide the highest quality milk to the Society for its customers. 

"The reputation of the Irish dairy industry hinges on the high standards and quality of our milk and the acknowledgement of this is demonstrated in the output from our suppliers. Our milk suppliers are continuing to produce 'best in class milk' despite industry challenges and Dairygold will continue to do what it can to support them to adapt to these challenges.”

Limerick was also home to this year’s Sustainability Milk Quality Award winners, Liam and Geraldine Herlihy of Kingsland, Bruree, Kilmallock. 

The Sustainability Award recognises the efforts of Dairygold milk suppliers in making their operations more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. 

The Herlihys were one of the Dairygold ambassadors and pilot farms for the Leanfarm programme when it was first launched and continue to utilise its principles and ideas on a daily basis. The family has put a huge emphasis on soil quality on the farm and has put water preservation, clover inclusion and water harvesting protocols in place.