Grassland Farmer of the Year 2018
Overall Winner and Dairy Award
John McNamara
John farms with his wife Olivia just outside Hospital, Co. Limerick. They grew an average of 16T Grass DM/Ha whilst achieving an average of 8.5 grazings per paddock on their farm in 2017. Whilst they excel in all areas of grassland management they put particular focus on building their grazing infrastructure and resee
Regional Awards
Peter Farrell - North
Peter graduated as a Structural Engineer in 2008 but returned home to farm in partnership with his father in May 2009. They have since converted the 100 cow liquid herd into a much larger grass based Spring milk system. He was a former Nuffield Scholar who studied strategies to manage dairy volatility.
Michael Ryan - South
Based a stone’s throw from the Rock of Cashel, Michael farms with his wife Karen, together they run a 150 cow spring calving herd with a very high stocking rate on the milking platform. The herd is outstanding in terms of genetics and one the highest EBI herds in the country. The farm has excellent soil fertility
Enterprise Awards
Tomás O’Leary - Sheep
Tomás is the 2018 Sheep Grassland Farmer of the Year. He is heavily involved in the Ring of Kerry Quality Lamb a local group of sheep farmers who came together in 2009 to market their lamb directly to the consumer. He runs a 300 ewe mid-season lambing flock and brings all lambs except replacements through to slaughter
John Watchorn - Beef
John is the 2018 Beef Grassland Farmer of the Year. He farms in Wexford with his wife Shirley, they run a store to beef system bringing them through to slaughter the following year. They have developed an excellent paddock system which the groups of stock graze for 36 hours. This a high output farm that is grass based
Grassland Merit Awards
Neill Boland - Grazing Management
Neill is the winner of the Beef Merit Award for Grazing Management. He runs a 56ha farm in 3 different blocks and with 7 different grazing groups in Co. Sligo. He measures each block separately on PastureBase Ireland every week and manages the 7 grazing groups on these 3 blocks. A leader-follower system of grazing is p
John Leahy - Most Improved
John is the winner of the Dairy Merit Award for Most Improved Grassland Management. John farms on heavy soils in Athea, Co. Limerick. John got this award as he has made significant progress in grassland on the farm over the past few years. There have been large improvements in soil fertility and grazing infrastructure
Development and Disadvantaged Land Awards
Niall Moloney - Development Farmer
Niall is the 2018 Young Grassland Farmer of the Year. Niall farms with family in Crecora , Co. Limerick. Together they run a 170 cow spring calving herd. Niall has an excellent attitude towards grassland management and over the past few years he has focused on improving many aspects of the grazing platform.
Danny Bermingham - Disadvantaged Land
Danny is the 2018 Disadvantaged Land Grassland Farmer of the Year. Danny farms with his wife Yvonne in Co. Clare, and together they run a 100+ cow spring calving herd. Most of their farm is heavy soils with some peat soils but they still manage to have a have a grass based system of milk production.