West Cork's Lisavaird Co-Op to mark centenary in style with day of celebration
At Lisavaird Food Group HQ are Ciaran Young-Coolmore Foods, John Forbes-JDS, Martin Dineen-CEO Lisavaird Co-Op, Juan Blanes-Glenmar Shellfish and Donal Galvin-Glen Aine Foods. Lisavaird has achieved Origin Green Gold membership for 2025.
Lisavaird Co-Op will hold a special day of celebration on Saturday to mark 100 years in business.
The event kicks off at 11am on August 30 and continues until 4pm at the co-op's headquarters at Lisavaird Central in West Cork. The diverse open day will include machinery displays and demonstrations, food and drinks stalls, and prize giveaways. There will also be a vintage display, tours of the new offices, and a wide range of children's entertainment.
Huge work collating the history of the co-op has been carried out by Lisavaird group project accountant Denis McSweeney, and a special exhibition featuring photographs and memorabilia from the past century at Lisavaird will be on display at Saturday's open day. The public can also drop by to hear a history talk on 'The Story of Lisavaird Co-Op'.
Lisavaird now employs 382 people across its business, with a diverse porfolio that now includes Glen Áine Foods in Co Limerick, Coolmore bakery in Bandon, Co Cork, Glenmar Shellfish in Union Hall, Chefs Choice Fish Company in Galway, and the makers of Frytex and Dairymaid, JDS Foods in Cork City. Lisavaird is also a joint owner of Clóna Dairy and ingredients and cheese production giant Carbery.
Lisavaird’s co-op business has undergone a major modernisation and in the past 12 months, investing €5.5m in a new mill, and launching a range of agri-feeds. Profits at Lisavaird Co-Op grew 7.5% to €4.4m in 2024.
In 2024, Lisavaird Food Group joined Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme, and it has just received Origin Green Gold membership for 2025, the highest form of membership a company can attain.
Led by Bord Bia, Origin Green operates on a national scale across the full supply chain from farmers to food producers and through to the food service and retail sectors. The programme enables the industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets.
"Achieving Origin Green Gold membership is a proud moment for everyone across Lisavaird Food Group. This recognition is a direct result of the commitment, innovation and hard work of our teams at JDS Foods, Coolmore Foods, Glenmar Shellfish and Glen Aine Foods," said Martin Dineen, chief executive of Lisavaird Group. "We will continue to build on this momentum to drive sustainability, quality and growth into the future as leaders in the Irish food industry.”
All of Lisavaird's celebration day events are free. To book a place, visit:
https://lisavairdco-op.clr.events/event/138023:lisavaird-co-operative-visit-2025
