This 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 2020.
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.
Earlier today (Monday, May 31), Agriland outlined the top 10 direct payments beneficiaries for last year. But who received the highest payment in each county?
Starting off with Munster, Brendan Kelleher from Co. Cork received the highest direct payment in the province in 2020, amounting to €245,626.91. This was also the highest value of direct payments made to a single recipient across the country in 2020.
Co. Cork was also the location of two other beneficiaries who featured on the top 10 list.
County Beneficiary – MUNSTER Amount (€) Cork Brendan Kelleher 245,626.91 Kerry Padraig and James and Con Barry 139,464.20 Clare John O’Loughlin 104,170.50 Limerick Heathfield Dairy Farms Ltd 128,803.19 Tipperary John and Teresa Hanly 141,567.35 Waterford John and Peter Queally 176,541.58
Turning next to Leinster, six beneficiaries in the eastern province were accounted for on the top 10 highest recipients of direct payments nationwide in 2020.
O’Shea Farms Unlimited in Co. Kilkenny had the second highest direct payment allocation in the country after Kelleher, amounting to €222,646.95 – the highest payment in the province.
County Beneficiary – LEINSTER Amount (€) Kilkenny O’Shea Farms Unlimited 222,646.95 Carlow Park Farms Partnership 201,128.00 Dublin Michael and Gabriel Hoey 186,809.08 Kildare Godolphin Ireland UC 222,277.52 Laois Desmond Conroy 112,946.24 Longford Torboy Farms and Robert Payne 84,779.01 Louth Glydee Farms Limited 210,484.18 Meath Gillstown Dairy Partnership 176,635.42 Offaly Nick Molloy 147,101.58 Westmeath John Pearson Ltd 124,275.37 Wexford JKC Farms Ltd 175,278.79 Wicklow Thomas Delahunt 122,051.70
Looking next to Connacht, Galway farmer Hans Weirner Meis received the highest direct payment in the western province with a payment of €191,912.08 – the sole Connacht entry on the top 10 list.
County Beneficiary – CONNACHT Amount (€) Galway Hans Weirner Meis 191,912.08 Leitrim Padraig McGuinness 114,774.64 Mayo Michael and Declan Hegarty 103,574.13 Roscommon Hilltop Dairies Ltd 102,206.01 Sligo Corkamore Dairies Limited 94,534.32
Finally, turning to the three Ulster counties in the Republic of Ireland, Cavan-based farm enterprise B&L Farms (Unlimited) received a total of €159,232.07 – the highest in the province.
Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, Desmond Mallon received the highest direct payment last year of €29,973.98.
County/location Beneficiary – ULSTER Amount (€) Cavan B&L Farms (Unlimited) 159,232.07 Donegal Paul Carr 157,919.64 Monaghan Thomas, Mark and James Wilson 77,642.93 Northern Ireland Desmond Mallon 39,973.98