Farming in the blood of the Breffni people

Farming is central to a lot of activity that takes place in Cavan and surrounding area. The Department of Agriculture has a large regional office in the town that employs a few hundred people. Cavan Mart has its sale every Friday which attracts important business to the town. The mart is attached to Poles Co-op, which has a state-of-the-art builders merchants yard and agricultural supply store located just outside Cavan on the Dublin road.

Lakeland Dairies, one of Ireland’s largest dairy processors, is headquartered in Cavan town and has strong roots in the county, having had its previous base in Killeshandra. It also has a modern dairy processing facility in another county town, Bailieborough.

The Kepak pig processing facility which was formerly owned by the McCarrens is also an important employer in the town.

Liffey Meats also has a large beef processing facility located in the county in Ballyjamesduff.

Finbarr Kiernan vets, one of the largest practices in the border region, also has its main base just outside the town.

Cavan Equestrian Centre, a national show and sales venue for horses, stands on the western side of the town and attracts both national and international visitors to its monthly horse sales.

Enterprising

Cavan farmers are known for their industrious and enterprising nature.

The difficult drumlin soils that predominate most of the county mean other enterprises which were less dependent on good land were looked at.

The now famous pig industry in the region started out on small livestock farms across the county.

The Kiernan family, famous in pig circles, have many piggeries situated across the county and are major players in Ireland’s national pig industry.

Cavan famers have also been front and central in the erection of poultry houses over the years and in recent years many farmers have branched out into free-range egg production, with many modern units built on Cavan farms in recent years.

Supply businesses

Farming has spawned many other supply business related to farming over the years with companies like AW Ennis, Gerald Clarke Machinery and Univet some of the more famous Cavan-based agribusinesses who that operate both nationally and internationally.