Pics: see the 12 Tirlán grain award winners

There were 12 winners at the Tirlán grain quality awards last week. There was a winner for each category of grain, protein and oilseed rape delivered to the co-op.

The winners took a tour of Midleton Distillery before the awards ceremony, where the overall winner was also announced – Bobby Miller from Co Laois.

You can see all the winners in the pictures below.

Winter roasting barley - Clive Bayley, Ballickmoyler, Co Carlow

Clive Bayley farms owned and leased land in Ballickmoyler. He grows about 40ha of fodder beet and 40ha of maize.

He also grows oilseed rape and beans, helping him to hit yields and gain access to premium priced crops such as gluten-free oats, basic seed and winter roasting barley.

Malting barley - John Hosford, Rathcormac, Co Cork

John and Colette Hosford have a mixed tillage and beef enterprise near Rathcormac, Co Cork. The main crops are winter and spring barley.

The establishment method on the farm is plough-based. Forage rape is grown in some years. Some straw is chopped, while more is used for bedding cattle on the farm.

Premium spring barley - Rosnolvan Farm Partnership, Moone, Co Kildare

Roy Coyle, his wife Frieda and their son Robert are specialist tillage farmers. They grow a large area of winter crops each year, mainly winter barley, but with some barley and oats as well.

Spring barley is also grown on the farm, while forage maize is grown on contract for two livestock farmers.

Slurry, farmyard manure and chicken litter are used on the farm and are ploughed in. The Coyles are also agricultural contractors.

Green feed barley - Kieran O’Neill, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Kieran and Maureen O’Neill farm near Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

They grow winter and spring barley. Kieran bales straw with the exception of headlands, which Kieran thinks is helping crop yield. He places a focus on crop nutrition as a former agronomist.

Dried feed grain - Gary Pearson, Rathangan, Co Kildare.

Gary Pearson is a specialist tillage farmer who aims to sow as many winter crops each autumn as possible, including winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, winter barley and winter oats.

He plants maize and spring beans in the spring. He imports slurry and manures, grows maize on contract and grows cover crops if possible.

Gary dries and stores grain, selling throughout the year.

Seed barley - Eugene and Eimear Ryan, Portlaoise, Co Laois

Eugene is a mixed farmer from Co Laois. His parents Hugh and Maureen also help on the farm.

He plants winter wheat, winter barley, winter oilseed rape, spring barley and spring beans.

He grows cover crops and has seen many benefits from their use over the years.

Eugene has drystock and uses the slurry and manure on farm. He uses both ploughing and minimum tillage establishment methods and runs an agricultural contracting business.

Green feed wheat - Séamus Grace, Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny

Seamus and Caroline Grace farm in Co Kilkenny on free-draining soil and use a plough and one-pass system to plant crops.

Winter wheat, winter barley and oats are grown on the farm and spring beans are used as a break crop that help with grass weed and disease control.

Seed wheat - Padraig Kehoe, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford

Padraig Kehoe is a specialist tillage farmer near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Winter wheat, winter barley and spring malting barley are the main crops, along with break crops of feed oats, oilseed rape and feed beans.

He uses minimum tillage to establish crops to reduce costs and improve soil structure.

Food-grade oats - Bobby Miller, Stradbally, Co Laois

Bobby farms owned and rented land at Rathmore, near Stradbally, Co Laois. He plants winter oilseed rape, winter barley, gluten-free oats and spring malting barley.

He uses both ploughing and minimum tillage to establish crops. Bobby has increased organic manure use on the farm to replace artificial fertilisers.

Feed oats - Martin McDonald, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford

Martin and Breda McDonald operate a mixed dairy and tillage farm on owned and rented land near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Winter oats and spring barley are the main crops. Winter oats early harvest date is an advantage on the farm. The McDonalds supply milk year-round to Tirlán as well.

Green feed beans - Declan Heaney, Navan, Co Meath

Declan Heaney and his wife Maria operate a tillage farm on owned and rented land near Navan, Co Meath.

The Heaneys focus on value-added grains, such as seed crops, winter roasting barley and gluten-free oats.

Potatoes, oilseed rape and beans are all part of the crop rotation, allowing for entry into some of those premium markets. Declan uses organic manures and chicken litter on the farm.

Green oilseed rape - Ger Leahy, Cahir, Co Tipperary

Ger and Niamh Leahy operate an intensive tillage farm outside Cahir, Co Tipperary.

Ger grows oilseed rape, winter wheat, winter barley, oats, rye and spring malting barley.

All crops are established using a plough and one-pass system. Ger has one full-time employee and takes on additional labour at harvest, with his son Seán helping out at weekend and in the summer.