Tucked between the mountains and the sea, the Cooley Peninsula in Co. Louth is a place where farming has deep roots.

It is here, in one of Ireland’s most scenic corners, that you’ll find Muchgrange Farm — a family-run dairy that is as focused on the future as it is proud of its traditions.

Run by Michael John Hanlon and his father, Ciaran, Muchgrange is known locally not just for its bustling farm shop, but also for supplying fresh, high-quality milk and gelato straight to catering and retail customers across Co. Louth and the north-east — including counties Dublin, Monaghan, Armagh, and Down.

For the Hanlons, producing top-quality milk is not just a goal — it’s the standard. And that starts with looking after their cows to the highest possible standard, every single day.

The 125-cow herd is mainly spring-calving, with a small group calving in autumn and winter to keep milk flowing all year round.

Maximising milk from grass is a top priority, but equally important is making sure the cows are healthy, comfortable, and able to reach their full potential.

Michael John explained: “We continuously monitor the health of the cows.

“If they’re in good shape, they’ll do their best and give plenty of good milk — it’s as simple as that.”

It was this focus on herd health that led the family to partner with AHV UK & Ireland.

“Keeping the cows’ udders and overall health right is the key to keeping milk flowing year after year,” Michael John said.

“Before AHV, we’d fix problems when they came up — but by then it could be too late.

"From the first meeting, it was clear AHV could help us do that.”

One area of concern in the past was cell count — a vital measure of milk quality and cow health.

“If your cell count is high, you know there’s trouble — it tells you a lot about the milk and the cows,” Michael John said.

The solution came through AHV’s Longevity Herd Health Programme — a hands-on, proactive approach to herd management designed to improve udder and uterine health, metabolism, transition, production, and more.

The goal? Keep cows healthy, in the herd for longer, and producing profitably for years to come.

But Michael John is quick to point out this is not just something done over the phone.

“We get great support from Paul Marrs and David Crooymans at AHV — they’re out in the yard with us regularly to see the cows for themselves,” he said.

“That way, they know exactly how the herd is doing and can see the difference the health plan is making.”

The programme is guided by regular milk recording and data analysis, helping to spot issues before they become problems.

Paul Marrs, AHV’s Health and Longevity Manager, explained: “We’re working with Muchgrange and other dairy farms to increase the number of lactations each cow achieves.

"That’s a key driver of sustainability in modern dairy farming. The cost of rearing replacement heifers through to point of calving is immense.

AHV’s in-house tools, like their MPR analysis system, help make this possible. The more often a herd is milk recorded, the more accurate and relevant the data becomes.

“Our MPR analysis tool is unique to AHV,” Paul said.

The Longevity Herd Health Programme focuses on key stages in the production cycle — pre-dry off, pre-calving, post-calving, and the weeks that follow.

At each stage, the AHV team works alongside the farmer to make sure the right support is in place.

According to Michael John: “In the past year, we’ve completely changed how we look after the cows.

“We’ve gone from fighting problems to staying ahead of them. Working alongside AHV has made a big difference, and I’d tell any dairy farmer to give their programme a go – it’s helped us keep our cows in great shape and producing for longer.”