At the time of the launch, O'Reilly was the general manager of the National Dairy Board, then An Bord Bainne, the butter was the first to carry an Irish brand name.

With the announcement this week that Kerrygold is to launch UHT liquid milk in the Chinese market, the Irish Farmers Journal delved into the archives for the articles announcing the historic launch.

Here is the article from the front page of the 6 October 1962 issue of the Irish Farmers Journal, along with the editorial, documenting the launch of Kerrygold:

Kerrygold launched

"Kerrygold" was launched in the N.W. of England on Monday, to prove the 7.5 million people there with the first real assurance that they can but genuinely Irish creamery butter.

The general manager of An Bord Bainne, A.J. O'Reilly, and it's secretary, J. McGough, were in Manchester for the launching.

Building up to this event meetings were held in the major cities of the North-West with wholesalers, multiple store and co-op. representatives, as well as retailers and their response was encouraging.

Now this butter, the first to carry an Irish national brand name, is in the shops and the results depend on the people who matter - the consumers.

National branded Irish butter launched on British market

This week we are happy to record a launching of a national branded Irish butter on the British market. This is just the beginning of good marketing and we hope it will be followed by identifiable brands for the various categories of Irish cheese which should sell under one name regardless of the creamery from which it comes. The same approach must be the goal for much of out bacon in the short term and eventually for our lamb and beef.

In the meantime, the butter development deserves success and we hope it will be followed by even more advanced methods of packaging and handling to assure still greater quality.

Watch the RTE Documentary 'Tony O'Reilly - The Real Deal' here.