Over 3,000 people attended two open days as part of the Drinagh Co-Op centenary year celebrations at its headquarters in west Cork on Saturday and Sunday last, July 29 and 30.
The Drinagh 100 exhibition of photographs and memorabilia was the main attraction at the celebrations. A collection of hundreds of photographs, letters and documents chronicled the story of Drinagh from its inception.
There is scarcely a family in west Carbery that does not have some connection with Drinagh and visitors to the exhibition felt a great nostalgia, but also a great sense of connection to the remarkable story of the co-op.
Another great attraction over the weekend celebrations was the guided tour of Drinagh’s state-of-the-art feed mill, which produces over 80,000t of feed annually.
A large collection of vintage tractors, trucks and other farm machinery was showcased during the celebrations. A 1952 Foden truck, one of four that Drinagh owned in the early 1950s, was one of the main attractions in that display.
Displays of butter making were given by the Cork Butter Museum and by Alan and Valerie Kingston from Glenilen Farm, Drimoleague. The Macra creative challenge attracted great interest at the celebrations.
Hearing history
An information booklet with a brief account of the history of Drinagh was given to every visitor over the weekend.
“Milk and dairy output have been among the staple food products consumed in Ireland from prehistory. For centuries, butter was Ireland’s most important dairy product, and is the country’s oldest dated food product,” said author, Philip O’Regan.
“Climatic conditions are ideal for making butter in the south of Ireland. In 1770 the Cork Butter Exchange was founded and butter from throughout the province of Munster was exported through Cork harbour.
“In the early decades of the 19th century, the Cork Butter Market was the largest in the world,” he said.
“Butter was made in the home and stored in wooden casks or firkins. From remote areas of west Cork, farmers would strap two firkins of butter, one on either side of a donkey, and walk it to the Butter Exchange in Cork.
“The old butter roads in Cork and Kerry provided a crucial network of transportation corridors from the remotest of areas to the city,” the author, who was engaged to write a book on the co-op’s history, continued.
“With the introduction of new technology in the late 1800s, the manufacture of butter evolved from being a cottage industry to being produced on a larger scale and to a more uniform and consistent quality,” Philip said.
“In 1923 Ireland was just emerging from a period of extraordinary turmoil which culminated in the War of Independence and Civil War. Ireland was still a rural, peasant society.
“Poverty was endemic and emigration was still a blight on the fabric of rural Ireland. The agricultural industry was practically the only one existing. Butter and eggs were among its chief national assets.
“However, the dairy industry was in crisis. One of the responses to this was the introduction of the creamery system into Ireland.”
Drinagh Co-op
Drinagh Co-operative Creamery Ltd., Philip outlined, was founded in 1923 with its primary business being the manufacture and sale of butter.
“Situated in what was then one of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, from the outset Drinagh defied the odds and exceeded all expectations. The founding of the society sparked an economic and social revolution in west Carbery,” he said.
“Fr. John Crowley was the driving force behind the founding of the co-operative creamery in Drinagh, but he didn’t labour on his own. In particular, the members of the first committee of management were all very active in the affairs of the society in the early years.
“Clearly also, the farming community in Drinagh fully supported the ethos and aims of the co-operative movement.”
Having been established initially to serve farmers living or farming within seven miles of the Catholic church in Drinagh, the society quickly expanded and by 1930 it had six auxiliary creameries opened and had a substantial store and egg buying business.
“In 1932 Drinagh purchased a small crushing and grinding mill and continued to expand its creamery network and by the end of the decade had opened a further nine branches and had grown to a level scarcely imaginable by its founders,” Philip said.
“Transport costs militated against the establishment of creameries in areas such as west Cork, as the milk supply was geographically dispersed among a multitude of small producers in remote areas.
“But Drinagh overcame this and many other obstacles to become a thriving concern. The ethos and spirit of co-operation was very much part of their operating model,” the book outlined.
The author highlighted key points in the co-op’s growth.
“In 1956 Drinagh had a turnover of £1 million and was only the fourth co-operative in the country to achieve that milestone.
“In 1957 the name of the society was changed to ‘Drinagh Co-operative Ltd.’ by deleting the word ‘creamery’ from its designation.
“This was to reflect more accurately the changing nature of the business as it evolved into a more multi-purpose co-op.
“In 1960 Drinagh had a staff of 166 and was one of the largest employers of labour west of Cork City,” Philip said.
“In 1965 Drinagh played a key role in the establishment of Carbery which was a joint venture between the four west Cork creamery co-ops and Express Dairies, UK. In 1992 Carbery became fully owned by the four west Cork co-ops with Drinagh being the largest shareholder with a 39% share.
“In the 1970s, two events occurred which were to have a huge impact on Drinagh.
“In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Economic Community, later the EU, and in 1975 the society acquired the Aughadown Creameries Group and Castletownbere creamery from the Dairy Disposal Company.
“This acquisition added a further 11 branches to Drinagh’s network to bring the total up to 29,” he said.
Great change
“Diversification of the milk industry brought great change from the 1970s,” Philip continued.
“Separation of milk at the branches ceased and all milk was transported directly to Carbery. Drinagh ceased its butter making operation at Central in 2000.
“Most of the activity at Central is now centred on the mill which has grown exponentially over the past few decades. The latest extension in 2018 enabled the mill to double its annual output,” outlined the book.
“In recent years the business of Drinagh has diversified further with the provision of a number of large outlets in Skibbereen, Dunmanway, Bantry, Castletownbere, Lowertown, and a major expansion to Drinagh Central Hardware.
“Drinagh opened its first pharmacy in Skibbereen in September 1997 and has since added a further three pharmacies to its network at Dunmanway, Bantry and Schull. The pharmacy division is now a key element in Drinagh’s business,” said Philip.
“Drinagh has contributed an extraordinary amount to the economic and social life in west Carbery over the past 100 years. It is a co-operative in the truest sense of the word – it is of the community and it is for the community.
“Whatever challenges the dairy industry will face in the next decades, and they will be many and varied, Drinagh is in a strong position to lead the way for its shareholders and the community in west Carbery.”