A tool developed by a man in Co. Cork which aims to help growers deal with labour issues has won a top prize at the 2026 Tullamore FBD National Livestock Show.

John O'Neill's EcoLayr was awarded first place in the Inventions in Sustainability and Environmental class at the show's National Invention Competition before going on to be named the overall Supreme Champion yesterday (Sunday, August 9).

O'Neill of Ballinadee Engineering Ltd., trading as O’Neill Engineering, designed and developed EcoLayr to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing small and medium-sized vegetable growers - the amount of labour involved in preparing and maintaining growing beds.

The low-horsepower machine can build new beds, top-dress existing beds and lay wood-chip pathways.

It can also be used with both no-dig and conventional growing systems.

Innovation prize at Tullamore Show

According to the designer, one of the most significant advantages of EcoLayr is the amount of labour it can save.

A 100m bed can be built in minutes, with the application rate controlled from the tractor.

Traditionally, the same task could take three or four people a full day using wheelbarrows.

The machine is designed to be suitable for a wide range of growers, from small market gardens to much larger commercial vegetable-growing operations.

Sustainability was also central to the design according to O'Neill.

EcoLayr allows compost and other organic materials to be applied precisely where they are required, reducing waste and ensuring nutrients are placed directly onto the cropping area.

In no-dig systems, beds can be prepared without the traditional soil inversion associated with conventional cultivation.