Award Winning Quality
We’re very proud that our member’s superior milk products continue to garner recognition both provincially and on the national stage.
We have been represented in the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards final every year since 2012, and have enjoyed significant success, claiming both Winner and Runner-up.
The Awards
The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards drive and reward the highest standards of excellence for Irish dairy farming.
Dairy Co-operatives from around the country are invited to nominate their top supplier for the awards each year, and those farmers then undergo a rigorous set of assessments by an expert judging panel. Milk quality data and technical reports for a full 12 month period are analysed to select a shortlist of finalists.
The top dairy farms are then visited and further assessed against criteria that includes animal health and well-being, sustainability and environmental protection, technical capabilities, continuous improvement and at the heart of it – a pride and passion for dairy farming that is bourne outin the quality and taste of the milk.
A Decade of Success
Tom, Mary & Michael Ryan
Overall National Winner, 2025
Best Data Management Award and National Runners Up, 2018
From Runners Up in 2018 to overall winners in 2025 – an extraordinary achievement for Tom, Mary, and Michael Ryan. Picturesque and spotlessly maintained, the farm in Lisheen has been in the family since the 1880’s, with the award winning milk produced by a herd of 100 cows.
Denis, Teresa & David Bergin
National Environmental Award Winners, Overall Runner Up, 2023
The Bergin’s picturesque farm in Kilbragh, Cashel features the ruins of a 12th- century village. David is the fifth generation farmer of the land, together with Teresa and their son David.
Pat, Brian & Lorraine Hogan
Category Award Winner for Herd Genetic EBI, 2022
Brian and Lorraine and their three children live and farm the land that Brian was raised on in Thurles, alongside Brian’s father Pat. The fourth-generation to do so, they’ve brought home the skills and experiences they had abroad, to build an award-winning operation.
Tommy & Mary Ormond
Category Award Winner for Sustainability, 2021
Tommy and Mary and their two daughters live and work on the family farm in Templemore, which they took over from his father two decades ago. Still close by to his parents, Tommy benefits from their long heritage and knowledge on the farm, and represents the farming traditions of the future – with sustainability at their heart.
Catherine & Edward Bowe
National Finalists, 2020
Catherine Bowe and her son Edward run their family farm in Two-Mile-Borris, now in the family for four generations. They added to their success in the Animal Health Ireland Cell Check Awards in 2018 – in which they were awarded in the Top 500 farms in Ireland – to reach these national finals for quality, one of only 12 farms in the country.
Nicky & Philip Thornton
National Finalists, 2017
Runners Up, Lowest SCC, 2016
Nicky and his son Philip farm 90 hectares in Beechwood, Dualla, Cashel. Following up on their success at the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards 2016, where they were awarded Runners Up for Lowest SCC, the partnership were once again recognised for their commitment to innovation, efficiency and quality, to reach the national finals in 2017.
Thomas & Marie Ryan
National Finalists, 2015
Thomas and Marie Ryan are committed to sustainability and excellent milk quality. Their philosophy is to do the simple things right and introduce new ideas as appropriate. Grass is the driver of their farming season with a long season at grass.
Eddie, Anne & Thomas Dwan
Overall National Winner, 2014
The Dwan family, of Bohernamona, near Thurles took the overall prize in 2014, beating fifteen farms from seven counties to take the Perpetual Cup. Over the four generations the farm has been in the Dwan family, it has grown – but innovation and sustainability have always been a priority and in 2020 we were thrilled when Thomas also committed to our non-GMO initiative, Tipperary Fresh.
The beautiful footage of the Bergin family featured on our homepage, and many of the photographs above were produced by the National Dairy Council, and published here with their permission.
Our thanks to the NDC.
