Some 25 Tirlán farmers will begin studying a new corporate governance programme in conjunction with University College Cork (UCC) in September. The Governance Academy will offer educational opportunities for members who want to take up governance roles within the co-op’s representative structure, according to Tirlán chair John Murphy and is part of a drive to “enhance and modernise our co-op, delivering greater gender-balance and involvement of our younger farmers”.

The collaboration between Tirlán, UCC and ICOS will be structured in tiers which will allow farmers to train for positions up to and including Tirlán board level, gaining academic awards accredited by UCC. The first intake of 25 farmers includes non-shareholders, mainly the sons and daughters of existing shareholder suppliers. They were chosen from among over 100 expressions of interest for the inaugural programme.

The course involves in-person workshops, online webinars and interactive case studies and expert-led discussions.

Anne-Marie Doheny, who recently joined her local regional committee, said she was looking forward to learning more about her co-op.