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Mary Kinston receives her award from Ivan Yates.
THERE were Kerry winners at the second National Dairy Awards on Thursday night in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise.
Mary Kinston was announced as the best Grassland Agro Best Dairy Advisor of the Year and also claimed the top gong by winning the AXA Overall National Dairy Award.
The awards celebrate the primary producers, the artisan producers, sector services and the dairy processors as an industry collective. The premier black tie event is an industry wide, awards ceremony highlighting the best of the Irish dairy sector.
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The overall award is open to all winners of the previous categories for who the judges deem worthy as the overall National Dairy Award Winner.
Dinny Galvin also scooped the Local Power Best Dairy Sustainability Driver award. Former minister and broadcaster, Ivan Yates served as MC for the night.
Mary works with 10 discussion groups across Ireland, completing in depth financial reviews to understand if the farm business is limited by output or by costs.
Getting farmers to clarify their goals is an essential starting point and facilitation is key as all solutions generally come from the other farmers in the group according to the winner.
Speaking about Mary Kinston’s help facilitating farmer discussion groups across the country, judges said: “Excellent examples of advisory work completed and a wide range of clients in many regions.”
Ivan Yates, MC presented the Grassland Agro Best Dairy Advisor of the Year 2024 award to Mary Kinston. Christy Doherty, AXA presented the AXA Overall National Dairy Award to Mary Kinston.
Dinny Galvin claimed the Local Power Best Dairy Sustainability Driver based on his tireless work in West Kerry.
Pat Smith, Managing Director, Local Power Ltd presenting Dinny Galvin with his award.
The West Kerry dairy farmers SEC was set up back in late 2019 and an energy master plan was completed last November.
It comprised of a study on energy conservation and use of renewables on farm. By reducing energy consumption, farmers are demonstrating a reduction of emissions on-farm.
Pat Smith, Managing Director, Local Power Ltd presented the Local Power Best Dairy Sustainability Driver award to Dinny Galvin.
21 awards were presented on the night celebrating the high achievers that continue to develop and strengthen the Irish dairy industry. Professor Donagh Berry won the Agri Insider Dairy Leader of the year award on the night which was presented by Jason Webb, Content Director, Agri Insider.
• Catherine Keena – Countryside Management Specialist, Teagasc
• Vanessa Kiely O’Connor – Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group / ICMSA / Dairy Farmer
• Dr. Seamus O’Mahony – Professor of Dairy Science, UCC
• Kate Ryan – Award-winning Food Writer / Irish Food Writers’ Guild
• Conor Holohan – Senior Scientist, AFBI
• Rachel Martin – Farming Editor, Irish Examiner
• Prof. Alex Evans – Former Dean of Agriculture, and Former Head of the School of Agriculture & Food Science, UCD
• Joe Patton – Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer Department, Teagasc
• Aileen Barron – Managing Director, Green Acre Marketing
• David Auerbach – Trade Adviser & Marketing Executive – Business and Trade, British Embassy Dublin
• Neil Fuller – Agricultural and Environmental Science, Future Food Solutions
• Jason Webb – Content Director, Agri Insider
