Precision gluten-free oat production secures Grain Grower of the Year title
From left: Tirlán head of grains Michael Ryan; Tirlán grains quality operations manager Mariea O’Toole; Tirlán chairperson John Murphy; award-winning growers Bobby and Denise Miller from Rathmore, Stradbally, Co Laois; and Tirlán chief executive Seán Molloy. Pictures: Finbarr O'Rourke
A Co Laois tillage farming couple who created a carbon sink in 2025 while producing premium gluten-free oats have been crowned Tirlán Grain Grower of the Year.
Bobby and Denise Miller, growers from Rathmore, Stradbally, were crowned Tirlán’s top tillage farmers at a special event at Cork’s Castlemartyr Resort and Midleton Distillery Experience.
Exceptional attention to detail, strong technical standards and consistent delivery of premium gluten-free oats enabled the Millers to secure both the Food Grade Oats category award and the top honour on the day.
Speaking to the , Mr Miller, who has been growing gluten-free oats for Tirlán since 2015, explained that to achieve the high-quality, gluten-free oats he grows, he operates under a “closed loop system”, preventing any cross-contamination from other gluten-rich crops.
From the seed, to the applications, all the way to the machinery, sowing, harvesting, transporting and milling, the oats are all managed and specific to Tirlán oat production and aim to avoid any contact with any other grains as much as possible.
Mr Miller’s oats created a carbon sink in 2025 through his utilisation of Teagasc’s AgNav system, incorporation of chopped straw, importing of organic manures and fertiliser management.
“Living in a world where there is so much processed food, oats are a very simple and good healthy product. If more people started eating more Irish-grown oats, for porridge, or flour, it's got huge potential.”
Mr Miller achieved 3.5 tonnes per acre with the ‘Enya’ oat variety, a newcomer to the Tirlán recommended list as of 2025.
“It's known for its high bushel, which helps them to process it in the mill; the high bushel makes life easier for them and gives them a better quality product,” Mr Miller said.
“As a tillage farmer, I’m absolutely delighted to win first prize. Absolutely delighted and very proud, but as my father would say, pride doesn’t pay the bills at the end of the day.”
“Reality has to be there that we are struggling as a sector,” Mr Miller said, citing the approximate 1,500 farmers who have exited the sector in the last four years, a figure amounting to more than 10% of tillage farmers.
“I’d hate to have to turn my back on tillage farming… We don’t want to go down that route; it’s in the blood,” Mr Miller said.
The awards aim to recognise the very best of Tirlán’s grain suppliers and celebrate excellence across barley, wheat, oats, beans and oilseed rape. Twelve category winners were recognised for producing crops of outstanding quality in 2025.
Tirlán chairperson John Murphy said the awards provided an important opportunity to highlight the great work of growers who supply the cooperative with high-quality native grains.
“It is always a pleasure to recognise the growers who are delivering excellent quality year after year... Our growers delivered outstanding crops and demonstrated remarkable professionalism throughout a highly concentrated harvest window.”
Farmers awarded in the other 11 categories included:
- Co Carlow’s Clive and Lynn Bayley, for their winter roasting barley;
- John and Colette Hosford from Co Cork in the malting barley category;
- Roy and Frieda Coyle with Robert and Nancy Coyle from Co Kildare for their premium spring barley;
- Kieran and Maureen O’Neill from Co Waterford who took home the green feed Barley award;
- Co Kildare’s Gary Pearson received the dried feed grain award;
- Eugene and Eimear Ryan from Co Laois received the seed barley award;
- Seamus and Caroline Grace won in the green feed wheat category;
- Padraig and Anna-Leigh Kehoe from Wexford won the seed wheat category;
- Wexford's Martin and Breda McDonald won green feed oats;
- Declan Heaney from Co Meath took home the green feed beans awards;
- Ger and Niamh Leahy based in Tipperary received the top green oilseed rape prize.
Guest speaker, Malting Company of Ireland chief executive Paul McGillicuddy said: “Irish malting barley — grown to the highest standards by farmers like those honoured at the awards — is the backbone of our world-class brewing and distilling industries."
