Chicken farmers hit by closure

“MY father put his heart and soul into the farm, he really put everything into this. It’s him I really feel sorry for.”

Shane Kiely of Aglish in west Waterford, one of dozens of farmers who supplied the doomed Cappoquin Chickens, remembers his parents, Paddy and Kay Kiely, investing huge amounts of themselves into building up their business.

With Tuesday’s announcement that the processing plant is to close, that business and others like it face an uncertain future. Since taking over, Shane spent a lot of time and money upgrading facilities to ensure high-quality produce as well as compliance with the many regulations.