Ireland’s leading beef producers take centre stage at ICBF awards
Twenty-six of Ireland’s top-performing beef producers were recognised today (Tuesday, September 8) at the inaugural ICBF Beef Quality Awards.
The awards were held in conjunction with the ICBF Tully Open Day at the Tully Progeny Test Centre in Co. Kildare.
Speaking at the event, Sean Coughlan, chief executive of ICBF, said: "The ICBF Beef Quality Awards recognise farmers who are using genetics and performance information to support more efficient, profitable and sustainable beef production.
"Each of today’s winners has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to producing high-quality cattle and making informed decisions within their farming system".
Teagasc's manager of the Teagasc Future Beef Programme, Martina Harrington also highlighted the role of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) as well as the role of the programme in promoting the use of new genetic tools avaliable to farmers.
The awards are supported through a joint contribution from ICBF and FBD Trust, together with sponsorship from Ireland’s six leading beef processors: ABP, Ashbourne Meats, Dawn Meats, Foyle Food Group, Kepak and Liffey Meats.
The awards also formed a key part of the 2026 ICBF Tully Open Day, which brought together farmers, industry stakeholders, researchers and agri-food representatives to learn more about the latest developments in cattle breeding, genetics, sustainability and beef performance research.
According to the chair of the FBD Trust, Michael Berkery, it is important to recognise suppliers who are excelling in their respective area of beef produce.
"On behalf of FBD Trust, I am delighted to congratulate this year's winners and acknowledge their commitment to the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) principle.
"I would also like to acknowledge ICBF's stellar contribution to the National Cattle Breeding Programme and the progress that has been made since its foundation," he added.
The winners announced on the day included:
| Award | ABP | Ashbourne Meats | Dawn Meats | Foyle | Kepak | Liffey Meats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy-beef finisher: | Thomas Mulhall | William Burke | Olwyn Owens | John Graham | Michael and Timothy Hurley | Sean Conroy |
| Dairy farmer finisher: | Rory Dunne | William St Leger | Liam Phelan | David Fagan | D.J. Kealy | Eamonn Parke |
| Suckler farmer finisher: | John McCormack | David Talbot | William Fitzpatrick | Alan Edwards | Harry Mellody | David Argue |
| Suckler finisher: | Neil Ryan | John Paul Fitzpatrick | Patrick O'Grady | Marcus Wallace | Olivia Leech | David Golden |
In addition to the four winners for each respective factory, there were two Gene Ireland winners announced at the event also.
Dairy-beef farmer Donal Shinnick won the Dairy-beef Gene Ireland award and suckler farmer William McGrath won the Suckler-beef gene Ireland award.
Following the awards ceremony there was an opportunity to tour the Tully Progeny Test Centre and learn about the latest developments in cattle breeding, genetics, sustainability and beef performance research from the facility.
