Tirlán to invest €126m in whey protein facility
From left: Aoife Murphy, chief ingredients officer at Tirlán; John Murphy, chairperson; agriculture minister Martin Heydon; Seán Molloy, chief executive; and Jim O' Neill, chief operations and consumer officer. Picture: Dylan Vaughan
Plans for a €126m investment in a state-of-the-art whey processing facility at Tirlán’s Ballyragget site in Kilkenny were recently announced.
The new facility will focus on the production of an advanced nutritional whey protein product portfolio, including clear whey protein — an increasingly popular product among lifestyle consumers.
Once operational, the facility will increase Tirlán’s capacity and flexibility to create high-value whey-based products.
Speaking on the announcement, agriculture minister Martin Heydon, said: “Today marks another milestone in the proud history of Tirlán and the Ballyragget site, which has been synonymous with dairy innovation for many years now. This multi-million-euro investment in whey protein processing capability represents not just a commitment to Tirlán’s future, but to the Irish dairy industry as a whole.”
Tirlán chairperson John Murphy said: “Ballyragget is already one of Europe’s largest integrated dairy processing sites, and this development will position Tirlán at the forefront of global nutritional protein innovation. It reflects our financial strength and long-term commitment to creating more value for our suppliers, customers, and rural communities.”
The new facility is said to be water-neutral and carbon efficient and is expected to be operational by mid-2027.
Tirlán and its farmer-owned co-operative network generated €5.5bn in economic activity in 2022, supporting more than 19,200 direct and indirect jobs across rural Ireland, with more than €2bn paid to more than 5,000 farm families, demonstrating the vital role of agriculture in driving the rural economy.
