Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our April newsletter, we’re talking to Caoimhe Murphy, Ruminant Business Manager

The prolonged wet weather means Caoimhe Murphy’s skills and expertise are in high demand at the moment.

The Ruminant Business Manager serves customers across Carlow and Wexford and the fact that cattle in large swathes of her sales area are still housed and not out in the fields means there are extra calls from under pressure farmers trying to manage fodder need, the nutritional needs of their herd and optimise dairy output.

“I’m a direct contact for farmers and manage feed sales to them, give them advice on managing the dietary needs of cows and help solve lingering problems about how to optimise production on farm as the wet weather lingers on.

“The mood among farmers is low, it’s absolutely not ideal that cattle are still in most of the time. They’re definitely under pressure. The fact that we can do absolutely nothing about the weather can be frustrating. Grass is definitely the best feed for cows and when they do get out to grass, the mood will lift. But it is a tough time.

“In lots of instances, farmers are running low on fodder and silage. I work with them to find the best nutritional plan for the herd in such circumstances and get their energy requirements right. It’s brilliant when you work with a farmer and find a solution. It’s incredibly rewarding,” the UCD Animal and Crop Production graduate said.

Caoimhe grew up on and still lives on a dairy and beef farm in Kilmanagh, just outside Kilkenny city, so she lives and breathes farming 24/7.  “We’re milking about 180 cows at home at the moment, so I know exactly what it’s like for farmers in the current climate. Farming really is a labour of love and it’s 24/7. I’m our farmers’ direct contact so I could get a call after evening milking looking for something to be ordered.

“Orders are always coming in. You could get a text late in the evening, some early in the morning, at weekends even. To try to balance things out, I make direct calls to farmers at the start of the week after I go through my list, see who might be running low by the end of the week. It helps me to try to keep one step ahead.

“I started out with Tirlán when I graduated during Covid in 2020. I got a place on the Graduate Programme and worked first on the Ruminant East team, based out of the Bunclody branch. It also involved some telesales work. A year later, I got my own list of customers in Carlow and Wexford, based out of the Graiguecullen and Bunclody branches. I absolutely love my role in sales.

“I love being in direct contact with farmers, helping find solutions to any problems they may have. Farming is rapidly changing and they’re facing greater sustainability challenges now more than ever. It’s very rewarding to work with them. They’re very passionate about what they do, but there’s a lot of new legislation coming at them so they do need support.

“I’m happiest in sales and have found that there are definite career paths in Tirlán for those who want to progress within the company. The opportunities are absolutely endless and there’s a great spirit of cooperation and support.”

Caoimhe likes to keep active and as well as playing golf, she enjoys playing camogie with the local club in Kilmanagh and getting in hikes at the weekends.

“I’m very lucky to have a role in Tirlán that I love, that is close to friends and family. Farming is in a bit of a flux at the moment with so much change happening. But we have solutions and farmers are more than willing to adapt, so there’s always plenty to do. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”