An event on August 28, jointly held by Dairygold Co-operative, the National Dairy Council, Ornua and Teagasc, celebrated the success of Aidan and Derval Kennedy and family, who farm near Cahir, Co. Tipperary, and were the 2024 National Winners of the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards.

The Kennedy family milk 393 cows on a 132.5ha milking platform at Drangan Farm, Cahir, Co. Tipperary. Carrying a spring-calving herd, they produced 483kg/cow of milk solids at 5.09% fat and 3.89% protein in 2024, producing over 2 million litres of top-quality milk annually.

Aidan and his wife Derval, along with their two children Galina and Nickolas, run a thriving dairy farm along with their team of three full time employees. A key ingredient in the Kennedy farm success story is the creation of a positive working environment for all employees on the farm. The day-to-day operation of the farm places a strong emphasis on good hygiene and excellent grassland management practices.

Dairygold Co-op milk suppliers, their focus was recognised through the 2024 National NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards in which the Kennedy farm was crowned the overall winner and winner of the Milking Hygiene and Facilities award.

Along with the milk quality focus, the Kennedys operate a block calving system, starting around the first week of February, with all cows dry by mid-December. The resulting calves are carried to approximately four weeks and are sold through the nearby Cahir Mart, after being reared to a high standard.

Breeding and health

As a founding member of the Dairy MIS Discussion Group, Aidan has always been up to date with the most recent research and information and the genetics of the herd clearly demonstrate the uptake of advice on animal breeding with a herd EBI of €261, that is in the top 5% in the country.

Furthermore, his 2024 co-op performance report shows fat and protein percentage figures that are in the top 10% of Dairygold suppliers, clearly demonstrating the impact of the breeding policy on herd performance. These excellent constituents are the driver of a milk price in the top 2% of all Dairygold suppliers. The resulting increase in milk price was worth an extra €279/cow over the average supplier’s price in 2024.

Herd health and animal welfare programmes are also followed, focusing on preventing milk fever, lameness and mastitis. Milk recording is carried out four times a year and is used for SCC management during lactation. Additionally, this allows for the best performing cows to be identified for breeding, along with any problem cows that may need special treatment or culling.

Pictured at an open day on the farm of 2024 National Winners of the National Dairy Council and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards are Michael Harte, Chief Executive Dairygold, Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director, host Aidan Kennedy, Cahir, Co Tipperary, Emma Walls, Chief Executive, National Dairy Council, host Derval Kennedy and Conor Galvin, Chief Executive Ornua.  Photo: O’Gorman Photography.

A grass focus

The Kennedys carry out over 50 grass walks annually, with 40 completed so far in 2025. They also utilise the PastureBase Ireland system to complete a Spring Rotation Plan and Feed Budget annually. This focus on grass measurement and active grazing management ensures grass quality is optimal for the milking herd, which allows the Kennedys to achieve a grazing season length of >280 days and produce significant yields of grass annually, averaging >15t DM/ha over the past 3 years (2022- 2024). The target maximum meal fed per cow is 0.75t annually.

Calving start date on the farm has slowly been moving forward year on year. The 2025 breeding season started on the 8^th of May. The aim here is to maximise the cow’s intake of grazed grass in the spring, increasing no. of grazing rotations achieved and setting the paddocks up for correct grazing management for the rest of the year.

Generally, cows get out to grass initially in February each year, with full-time grazing taking off in mid to late March. The Kennedys aim to complete the first round of grazing by April 1^st, in line with Teagasc recommendations. Dry spells have become more common in recent years. The weekly grass walks allow early identification of deficits on the horizon, enabling proactive adjustment of grazing management, rather than reactive. Good quality silage is vital here to supplement the cows during these deficits. During the shoulders of the grazing season, on-off grazing, good paddock access and high-quality silage are used to optimise the milking herd’s diet.

Milk quality on the Kennedy Farm

Maintaining high standards of milk quality is imperative for any dairy farm, as it is one of the key drivers of profitability, animal health and welfare, sustainability and the reputation of the Irish dairy industry. Over the past five years, as detailed in table 1 below, the Kennedy Farm has consistently produced large volumes of milk to a very high standard.

Table 1: Kennedy Farm Milk Supply Profile 2021-2025 YTD

Table 2 highlights the exceptional milk quality standards achieved by the Kennedy Farm on a monthly basis across 2024. The Kennedy Farm also attained the maximum of 55 points on the Dairygold Balanced Scorecard in 2024, demonstrating the excellence achieved in every parameter of milk quality.

Table 2: 2024 milk supply details for Kennedy Farm

For further insights on the Kennedy Farm, view the proceedings (PDF) from their recent farm walk here.