Last week, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine published a list of beneficiaries of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct payments in the Republic of Ireland for 2019.

The department is obliged, by EU regulations, to publish a list of all beneficiaries of CAP funding – once they receive more than €1,250 – by the end of May each year.

Last week, AgriLand outlined the top 10 direct payments beneficiaries for 2019. But who received the highest payment in each county?

In Leinster, O’Shea Farms, located in Co. Kilkenny, received the highest direct payments in the province in 2019, to the value of €226,440.71. This was also the highest value of direct payments made to a single recipient across the country in 2019.

Indeed, the top beneficiaries in six Leinster counties (Kilkenny, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Carlow and Wicklow) were also the six highest recipients of direct payments nationwide in 2019.

Data source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Turning to Munster, William Aherne, of Co. Tipperary, received the highest amount in terms of direct payments, receiving €206,150.22 in 2019, and was the only recipient from Munster to feature in the top 10 nationally.

Data source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Looking at Connacht, the highest recipient here was Co. Galway based entity VG Holdings Ltd, which received €171,324.15 last year in direct payments.

No beneficiary from Connacht featured in the top 10 recipients of direct payments nationwide.

Data source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Finally, turning to Ulster, Paul Carr, based in Co. Donegal, received €195,310.42, the highest amount received in that province, and the only beneficiary from Ulster to feature in the top 10 nationally.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, Capper Trading Ireland Ltd received the highest direct payment there in 2019, at €47,798.

Data source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine