Wexford growers scoop Tirlán Grain Awards

The country’s top tillage farmers were celebrated on Tuesday 10^th February as the winners of the Tirlán Quality Grain Awards 2025 were announced at events in Co Cork’s Castlemartyr Resort and Midleton Distillery Experience.

Two Wexford farms were recognised at the Awards, with Padraig and Anna‑Leigh Kehoe of The Ballagh, Enniscorthy winning the Seed Wheat award and Martin and Breda McDonald of Templenacrow, Clonroche winning the Green Feed Oats category.

Padraig Kehoe farms near The Ballagh, with a tillage‑only system across medium to heavier loam and clay soils. Main cereals include winter wheat, winter barley and spring malting barley, complemented by break crops such as feed oats, oilseed rape and feed beans.

Martin and Breda McDonald operate a mixed dairy and tillage enterprise near Enniscorthy, focusing on autumn‑sown oats and spring barley.

Bobby Miller, a grower from Rathmore, Stradbally, Co. Laois, was crowned Tirlán Grain Grower of the Year 2025. His exceptional attention to detail, strong technical standards and consistent delivery of premium-quality gluten free oats secured him both the top honour and the Food Grade Oats category award.

The awards 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 provide 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. The winners announced today reflect the high standards that exist right across our grower base. Our growers delivered outstanding crops and demonstrated remarkable professionalism throughout a highly concentrated harvest window.

As Ireland’s largest buyer of native grains, Tirlán remains fully committed to supporting farm families and maximising the value of Irish-grown crops.”