Our Agri Show and Farm Engagement highlights from summer 2026

Throughout the 2026 summer season, Tirlán colleagues and farm families connected with members, customers, schoolchildren and communities at agricultural shows and on-farm events, sharing knowledge, listening to feedback and celebrating the people at the heart of our Co-op.

Agricultural shows and farm events continue to play an important role in Tirlán’s annual engagement calendar. They provide valuable opportunities for colleagues to meet members, customers and prospective suppliers, listen to their views and strengthen relationships across the communities we serve.

During 2026, Tirlán participated in major agricultural shows including Balmoral, Tullamore, Virginia and Iverk, while also providing sponsorship support to a number of important regional shows including Gorey, Ballyfoyle, Clonmel, Bannow & Rathangan, Dungarvan, Clogher Valley, Ossory, Tinahely, Tullow and Dualla. Through these events, Tirlán continued to support local agricultural communities, celebrate farming excellence and maintain strong connections with members and customers across our catchment area.

Managers and Milk Solids Growth specialists were on hand over four days to meet existing and prospective milk suppliers. The team shared practical advice on animal nutrition, herd health and farm performance, while Avonmore Protein Milk sampling helped create a welcoming space for conversations with farmers and industry stakeholders.

Tullamore Show attracted around 70,000 people and provided an important platform for Tirlán, the Twenty20 Beef Club and programme partner Kepak to engage directly with farmers. Colleagues welcomed club members to the joint stand, unveiled refreshed Twenty20 branding and gathered feedback on the programme and the priorities and challenges facing beef farmers.

Education and community outreach were also central to this year’s programme. Through the National Dairy Council School Farm Visits, Tirlán suppliers Shane O’Loughlin, Tom Short and Mile Tree Farm opened their gates to schoolchildren, helping them understand where their food comes from and meet the farming families behind its production. More than 500 pupils visited the O’Loughlin and Short family farms in Kildare and Wicklow, taking part in milking demonstrations, calf feeding and interactive learning experiences focused on dairy farming and nutrition. The visit to Shane O’Loughlin’s farm also featured a live RTÉ 2FM Roadcaster broadcast, bringing the story of Irish dairy farming to a national audience.

As a proud patron of Agri Aware, Tirlán supported its flagship Open Farm event hosted by Tirlán milk suppliers Jim Harlin and Jake Harlin in Co. Meath. Visitors experienced life on a modern family dairy farm through milking demonstrations, biodiversity walks, food sampling and family activities, providing a valuable opportunity to build awareness and understanding of food production among the wider public.

Farmer-to-farmer learning was at the heart of the Tirlán Summer Series Open Evening hosted by Shane Fitzgerald and Kate Fitzgerald in Portlaw, Co. Waterford. More than 300 farmers attended the event to tour the family’s award-winning farm and hear practical presentations on nutrient storage, FarmElevate, FarmGen Solar, milk solids, drought planning and farm finance.

While each event had a different audience and focus, the common theme was the value of meeting people face to face. From supporting local agricultural shows to welcoming schoolchildren onto farms, engaging with members at major national events and facilitating farmer-to-farmer learning, Tirlán continues to strengthen the relationships that sustain our Co-op and the farming families at its heart.