Two North Cork tillage farming operations have been named among the four regional winners of the 2025 Dairygold Malting Barley Competition, an initiative that recognises excellence in crop quality, agronomic management and sustainable farming practices.
The North Cork regional winners are Dan Kiely from Carrigoon, Mallow, and brothers Michael and John Henry O’Driscoll from Kilcrea, Ovens. The competition forms part of Dairygold Agri Business’s wider annual programme supporting tillage farmers and agribusiness stakeholders.
The four regional winners will now go forward as finalists, with the overall winner to be announced at the Dairygold Annual Tillage Conference on this Friday, 9 January, at the Corrin Event Centre in Fermoy.
The annual conference is a key fixture in the tillage calendar and typically features technical presentations, expert speakers, trade stands and discussion on best practice and emerging challenges facing the sector.
NORTH CORK FINALISTS
Dan Kiely farms on the eastern side of Mallow near the River Blackwater with his wife Mary and son Paul, operating a mixed enterprise where tillage plays a central role.
Amity malting barley is grown in rotation with oats or beans, with soil testing carried out every three years and nutrition programmes developed in conjunction with Dairygold agronomist Michael English. Dan also participates in the EIP scheme and Teagasc cover crop trials.
While brothers Michael and John Henry O’Driscoll farm 140 hectares of limestone land west of Cork city, specialising in cereals and maize grown for both their own enterprise and local farmers. Malting barley is a key crop, with early planting prioritised and nutrition programmes based on regular soil sampling. Crops are established using a plough-and-one-pass system, with plant protection and trace elements applied under the guidance of Dairygold agronomist, Dylan O’Gorman.
The overall winner of the 2025 Dairygold Malting Barley Competition will be announced at the Annual Tillage Conference this Friday, January 9th.
