Last April our Chairman Mr. Paddy Daly, confirmed the appointment of Mr. John Kealy as Chief Executive Designate of Centenary Thurles Co-Op.  Mr. Kealy, who hails from Ballylinan Co. Laois and was most recently Head of Agri Operations at Tirlán, took up his role from Monday 13th April 2026. He is the holder of a BSc in Agricultural Science from UCD and an MBA from UCD Smurfit Business School.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Kealy said he was keenly anticipating working with the team at Centenary Thurles and building on the strong foundations already in place. He is looking forward to engaging with all stakeholders in the business and hopes to explore and uncover some exciting development opportunities for Centenary Thurles.

Centenary Thurles Co-Op reported Annual Turnover for 2025 of €150m and Net Assets (or Members’ Funds) of almost €80m. It celebrated 125 years in business back in 2023 and prides itself on the success of its Dairy, Agri and Home & Garden divisions. Towards the end of 2026, Mr. Kealy will succeed Mr. Joe Kerrigan as Chief Executive Officer on his retirement from that role. Mr. Kerrigan has served as CEO for the last 17 years, in a career with Centenary Thurles Co-Op that has extended to in excess of 33 years. In welcoming the new appointment, he referenced the strength of Centenary Thurles and its importance to the local economy. He expressed
confidence that our well-invested Society is ready to transition to its next phase of growth and development.

Pictured; John Kealy