Boortmalt and Guinness held their annual malting barley awards at the Guinness Storehouse on Thursday 27 February.
Liam Day, who farms with his son Liam in Whitegate, Co Cork, was announced as the overall winner.
When he accepted the perpetual trophy on Thursday, he explained that his father won the award in the 1950s.
Finalists from across the country attended the awards, but there was just one overall winner announced.
At the awards, Guinness representative Aidan Crowe said that Guinness has very high expectations from Boortmalt, the merchants who supply them and, of course, the farmers.
Celebrating excellence
He added that the day was about celebrating excellence and commented that while at one stage Guinness wondered would there be a 2024 crop given the difficult weather conditions, that crop turned out to be high in quality, despite the doom and gloom at the beginning of the season.
Stuart Sands, who in the managing director of Boortmalt in Ireland and the UK, said that the company has exacting standards for barley, but it is renowned globally.
Meanwhile, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) deputy president Alice Doyle congratulated the winners, while reminding both Guinness and Boortmalt that barley has to be economically sustainable to grow.
Earlier in the day, the IFA and Boortmalt met in what was described as a constructive meeting. The pair will now run a joint meeting for growers to attend in the near future.
The regional winners of the awards are as follows:
Richard Carolan, Stradbally, Co LaoisJames Miller, Vicarstown, Co Laois Kevin and John Gorman, Johnstown, Co Kildare Dan and John Pender, Co Carlow Shane and Tom O’Brien, Midleton, Co CorkDonal and Pat Murphy Bacolo Farms, Ballycarney, Co Wexford Pat Nolan, Marley, Co Wexford Marc Gethings, Caim, Co Wexford Tom Barron, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny Charles Kavanagh, Drumgoold Farm, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Paddy Byrne, Killurin, Co Wexford
Boortmalt and Guinness held their annual malting barley awards at the Guinness Storehouse on Thursday 27 February.
Liam Day, who farms with his son Liam in Whitegate, Co Cork, was announced as the overall winner.
When he accepted the perpetual trophy on Thursday, he explained that his father won the award in the 1950s.
Finalists from across the country attended the awards, but there was just one overall winner announced.
At the awards, Guinness representative Aidan Crowe said that Guinness has very high expectations from Boortmalt, the merchants who supply them and, of course, the farmers.
Celebrating excellence
He added that the day was about celebrating excellence and commented that while at one stage Guinness wondered would there be a 2024 crop given the difficult weather conditions, that crop turned out to be high in quality, despite the doom and gloom at the beginning of the season.
Stuart Sands, who in the managing director of Boortmalt in Ireland and the UK, said that the company has exacting standards for barley, but it is renowned globally.
Meanwhile, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) deputy president Alice Doyle congratulated the winners, while reminding both Guinness and Boortmalt that barley has to be economically sustainable to grow.
Earlier in the day, the IFA and Boortmalt met in what was described as a constructive meeting. The pair will now run a joint meeting for growers to attend in the near future.
The regional winners of the awards are as follows:
Richard Carolan, Stradbally, Co LaoisJames Miller, Vicarstown, Co Laois Kevin and John Gorman, Johnstown, Co Kildare Dan and John Pender, Co Carlow Shane and Tom O’Brien, Midleton, Co CorkDonal and Pat Murphy Bacolo Farms, Ballycarney, Co Wexford Pat Nolan, Marley, Co Wexford Marc Gethings, Caim, Co Wexford Tom Barron, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny Charles Kavanagh, Drumgoold Farm, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford Paddy Byrne, Killurin, Co Wexford 
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