Tipperary farm family among winners at Tirlán Quality Grain Awards

Proud Tipperary-based grower James English who farms at Ballytrehy, Ballylooby, Cahir, was singled out for his sustainability credentials winning the coveted overall Sustainability Award at 2024 Tirlán Quality Grain Awards. 

James English farms with his wife, Sinead, and sons, John and James. They farm approximately 1,100 acres of tillage outside Cahir.

All crops on the farm are established using a min-till system. James places a strong focus on crop rotation, using beans, oilseed rape and oats as break crops in order to maximise weed control and reduce soil-borne diseases.

Cover crops are sown before spring crops to improve soil health and structure on their farm. James uses GPS guidance technology to optimise application of products and minimise his impact on the environment. The English’s agronomist is Joe Delaney.

Meanwhile, champion growers Art and Ann Murphy won the coveted Grain Grower of the Year title at the Tirlán Quality Grain Award for 2024 and have been singled out for their exceptional attention to detail in producing top quality grains on the family farm.

The Murphys, from Killabeg, Ferns, Enniscorthy in Wexford, also won the individual award for Winter (Cassia) Feed Barley for harvest 2024. The Murphy family was among 14 top grain growers commended at the highly-competitive Tirlán Quality Grain Awards for 2024 ceremony that took place on Wednesday, 12th February, at The Guinness Storehouse.

John Murphy, Tirlán Chairperson, said Tirlán remains Ireland’s largest buyer and user of native Irish grains and has paid a top price at harvest for the last five years. “There has been a significant increase in the quantity of barley going to the brewing and distilling industry from harvest 2024. It is wonderful to get the opportunity to celebrate and recognise the ‘cream of the crop’ among our dedicated and passionate growers here at the Guinness Storehouse today.

For Harvest 2024, Tirlán said it continued to deliver record pricing, with €210/t for green feed barley and €220/t for green feed wheat. In line with Tirlán’s investment in innovation and high-spec facilities, its focus on premium grains continues to deliver for members.

Ailish Byrne, Chief Agribusiness Officer at Tirlán, said:  “It is wonderful to see the commitment of our growers to excellence and delivering high quality grains for the marketplace. The growers recognised here today are reflective of hundreds of Tirlán growers continuously striving to nurture their lands to deliver the best crops for consumers to enjoy.

“In 2024, Tirlán paid growers almost €3 million in additional bonuses, specifically for premium grains, including gluten-free oats, premium barley and malting barley. 2024 also saw the positive announcement by the Tirlán joint venture Malting Company of Ireland (MCI), which is planning to invest in its Cork facility in the coming months to support the long-term growth in Irish distilleries and breweries amid a global resurgence in demand for premium whiskey brands. It is expected the planned expansion and upgrade in facilities will enable MCI to increase output of malt by around a third.

“This investment, coupled with continuous innovation at Tirlán, presents our growers with further premium crop payment opportunities into the future in line with our aims to maximise returns to our farm families.”