In 2024, Tirlán raised over €115,000 through various fundraising efforts to support a number of local charities

The funds were raised through the Tour de Tirlán cycling event and the Tirlán Mountain Challenge, along with a number of other voluntary organisations working in communities across the south-east, midlands and north-east.

Over 130 employees took part in the fundraising activities benefitting mental health support organisation Aware, Cois Nore Cancer Support Centre, South East Simon Community and addiction rehabilitation service, Aiséirí.

Presenting the charities with their cheques, Jim O’Neill, Chief Operating & Consumer Officer, who chairs the Tour de Tirlán committee, said it was wonderful to see the level of enthusiasm amongst colleagues in raising money to support such good causes.

“We’re proud to be here today, for the presentation of the money raised for Tour de Tirlán cycle 2024. I’m delighted to say that we have raised €75,000 and we have presented the cheques to Aiséirí, Cois Nore, South East Simon and our Corporate Charity Partner Aware. The cycle has now been running for 10 years and we have raised €486,000 to date. We’re deeply involved in the community in Tirlán, we have 4,500 farm families spread across the country and it’s really important to raise money and give back to our community.”

The €75,000 raised from Tour de Tirlán was split evenly between the four charities, receiving €18,750 each.

Mary Dolan, Manager of Cois Nore, expressed her gratitude, saying: “We’re delighted to receive this fundraising donation from Tirlán. We really appreciate the work that went into all the events throughout the year and we’ll use the money to support our move to new premises on the Waterford Road in Kilkenny. This will enable us to provide the clients that use our service with a much more spacious and comfortable environment to receive their treatments in.” Cois Nore provides psycho-social support services to people with cancer and their families who are living in the county of Kilkenny and the surrounding areas.

Noreen Condon, Development, Learning and Engagement Officer in Aiséirí, highlighted the impact on their services: “Aislinn, our centre for young people aged 15-21 years, based in Ballyragget, will benefit from these funds. Aislinn caters for teenagers in addiction and this funding is vital to support the service. We intend to develop a sensory room, where the teens can chill out, reflect and have time away from the world. The monies will also go towards the development of the sports hall and the development of a sound system, improving the overall environment.”

Julie Curran, Senior Corporate Fundraising Officer with South East Simon Community, noted the importance of the donation: “Homelessness is the social issue of our times. Based in Waterford, we support vulnerable men and women here in the South East to leave homelessness behind, to rebuild their lives and to become active participants again in their local communities. None of it would be possible without the generous support of our local business community. This significant donation is a reflection of the care and compassion that everyone who participated in the fundraiser has for people who are isolated and excluded. Thank you so much for believing in people.”

Tirlán’s Charity partner, Aware, received a further €40,000 from the Tirlán Mountain Challenge 2024.

Stephen Butterly, Head of Fundraising and Business Development at Aware, Tirlán’s charity partner, said that the mental health organisation continues to see high demand for its services, with the Aware Support Line receiving an average of 80 calls a day. Aware is also set to expand its offering in the coming year with the introduction of a new service for people experiencing depression. “The Tirlán events have raised significant funds for Aware, along with bringing attention to the important topic of mental health. We are very grateful to the Tirlán team and everyone who participated in the events or supported their colleagues’ efforts. The monies raised will contribute directly towards the support of the many people across Ireland affected by depression and help ensure that we can continue to be there for the people who need us most.”

James Brennan, Employee Communications Manager and member of both the Tour de Tirlán and Tirlán Mountain Challenge Committee, emphasised the community spirit of the events: “Events like Tour de Tirlán and the Tirlán Mountain Challenge are an opportunity for our employees to come together, to socialise, connect with each other and to give back to our charity partners. Since 2017, the Tirlán Mountain Challenge has raised over €270,000.”

Projects in our Excellence Showcase highlight Tirlán’s culture of operational excellence

Our third annual Excellence Showcase was held in the Abbey Quarter Collaborative Hub, featuring 24 finalist projects across eight award categories. Each project represents a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation within Tirlán.

Event Highlights

The event, hosted by the Operations and Supply Chain Excellence Team and the Irish Centre of Business Excellence, allowed finalists to present their projects and engage with attendees. Each project team had the opportunity to vote for all projects, using a voting card system to rank their top three choices. Additionally, a QR code was released during the event, enabling attendees to cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award.

People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice Award went to the Cheese Right First Time project, led by Catriona Twomey, Aoife O’Rourke, Alan Fox, Patricia McGrath, Brian Mullally, Louise Lynch and Yvonne Owens.

Congratulating all the teams, CEO Seán Molloy said: “Our commitment to continuous improvement is resolute. All of our people contribute to it every day and bring about our culture of operational excellence. Congratulations to all the participants and winners.”

Thank you to everyone who participated and made this event a memorable celebration of innovation and teamwork. We look forward to seeing these projects implemented and the positive changes they will bring.

Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee. For our December newsletter, we’re talking to the Marketing Manager for our Out Of Home Value Added Milks, Stuart Scott

In this edition of “Chewing the Cud,” we are excited to feature Stuart Scott, a dedicated and passionate member of our team. Stuart’s journey with us has been marked by his commitment and significant contributions to the organisation.

Stuart is originally from Dublin but now lives in Kildare with his wife, Alma and their children, Charlie (12) and Amelia (9). He celebrated 20 years in Consumer Foods this year, having joined the business shortly after completing his degree in Marketing & Languages. Over the years, Stuart has held various roles, from Customer Service to Consumer Insights. He is now a key member of the Marketing team.

Stuart currently serves as the Marketing Manager for our Out Of Home Value Added Milks. In this role, he has launched exciting innovations in the Avonmore range including Mooju, Avonmore Protein Milk, Avonmore Oat Drink and Vitamins And More. Stuart enjoys the variety his role offers, working across different brands and marketing activities.

Stuart collaborates with a dynamic team including Barry Cassidy, Dan Belton and Zoe Keegan, to deliver exciting campaigns across digital and traditional ad formats.

Reflecting on his time with the organisation, Stuart said: “I’ve seen many changes over the past 20 years. Every business encounters challenging times that require agility and focus to overcome. But there are always learnings to take into new projects. The business continues to evolve and grow.”

From a consumer perspective, Stuart highlights the strength of the Avonmore brand, which continues to be one of Ireland’s most chosen brands. “Consumers place great trust in Avonmore to deliver quality products, and it remains highly visible in shops around the country. I’m  proud to be associated with such a respected brand.”

Stuart also shares his thoughts on the formation of Tirlán, describing it as “an exciting time for the organisation. Despite the changes, the constants are the great people and the strong culture. The values of the organisation are well communicated and embraced by the organisation.”

Balancing work and home life is important to Stuart. He appreciates the organisation’s openness to flexible ways of working and the respect for personal time. However, he humorously admits that he has been known to take photos of milk products while on holidays abroad, indicating that he might need to work on the balance a bit more.

Outside of work, Stuart is passionate about football. He spends a lot of time coaching his son’s team and attending League of Ireland matches. This hobby allows him to unwind and enjoy quality time with his family.

Tirlán CountryLife recently hosted the Farm Safety Roadshow partnering with FRS Co-Op, ICOS and our charity partner Aware

Tirlán CountryLife Monasterevin recently hosted the Farm Safety Roadshow, an event organised by FRS Co-Op and the Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS). This initiative brought essential safety training directly to farming communities, demonstrating Tirlán’s commitment to supporting farmers, their families, and the broader agricultural sector.

The roadshow highlighted the importance of improving safety within one of Ireland’s most hazardous professions. Key topics included managing risks when working with livestock, machinery operation and safe driving practices on rural roads. Mental health was also a significant focus, with expert speakers addressing the need for accessible support for farmers and their families.

Practical advice was provided on maximising the benefits of TAMS (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme) grants to enhance farm efficiency and safety, particularly in farm building improvements.

The event featured contributions from Tirlán’s official charity partners, Aware, who emphasised the critical role of mental health support in the farming community. They stressed the importance of events like the roadshow in fostering meaningful change and encouraging conversations about mental health within the sector.

Minister Martin Heydon, who attended the event, highlighted the progress made in mental health awareness within agriculture. He noted the increasing presence of mental health resources at agricultural shows and events, reflecting a positive shift in how the farming community addresses these challenges.

Tirlán CountryLife remains dedicated to empowering farming families with the knowledge and resources to work smarter and safer. The Farm Safety Roadshow was a testament to this commitment and the company looks forward to further opportunities to support the agricultural community in the future.

Tirlán is the only company to achieve Origin Green Gold for the fifth year in a row

Tirlán was delighted to be recognised as the only company to achieve Origin Green Gold Membership status for the fifth year in a row. The Origin Green Gold externally verified accreditation is strong recognition of Tirlán’s progress on its Living Proof sustainability programme and the Bord Bia standard is recognised at both a national and internal level by our customers.

We asked three Tirlán Origin Green stakeholders what this achievement means to them.

Sinead Treanor, ESG Programme & Governance Reporting Manager

Origin Green continues to equip Tirlán to meet the evolving sustainability needs and demands of global consumer markets. Along with our sustainability strategy, Living Proof, it supports our position as credible and ideal partners for sustainable produce and future investment. In setting and achieving measurable sustainability targets, it helps us to reduce our environmental impact and achieve a range of efficiencies in the daily running of our business.

As the only business in Ireland to achieve 5 gold status memberships in a row, verified data points audited by a third party builds trust with Tirlán customers and consumers. It also provides a platform to bring cross functional units together on a common purpose while also giving Special Matter Experts (SME’s) an understanding of ESG reporting and the importance of robust validated data.

This current evidence-based reporting structure supports Tirlán’s obligations under the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) reporting from 2026, where time bound targets and actions are an integral part of showing how Tirlán are continuing to build a sustainable food production system across our whole value chain.

In continuing to engage with the Origin Green team, it gives us access to new tools and sustainability reporting information, while also providing us with the opportunity to network across the food and drink industry through workshops and events.

Matthew Moylan, Farm Sustainability Development Advisor

Origin Green provides the Agri team with an opportunity to share and build on the progress of many of our sustainability initiatives, such as the work Tirlán are doing through FarmGen, Twenty20 Club, the ASSAP programme, and now the Slaney project.

Water quality continues to be a particular focus in Tirlán, as many of our farm families and their Co-op continue to implement key actions in support of the retention of the nitrates derogation. Building on the success of previous years, to date the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) initiative has delivered over 650 water quality improvement plans for farmers in high priority catchment areas to assist in delivering best practice while simultaneously improving biodiversity.

Tirlán has also launched the River Slaney Project in collaboration with Teagasc and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO). This community-based water quality remediation project is designed to set a benchmark in best practices and support farm families in working to maintain and improve water quality on their farms.

Aoife Murphy, Chief Ingredients Officer

Bord Bia Origin Green Membership is an international mark of excellence. As a country, we are lucky to have such a comprehensive programme to showcase our sustainable food production system.

Sustainability is embedded and key to all aspects of the Tirlán business. We continue to work collaboratively with our farmers and our customers to deliver more innovative and sustainable dairy and grain ingredients which are crucial in feeding the growing global population and meeting the demand for protein.