Champion growers Arthur and Ann Murphy have won the coveted Grain Grower of the Year title at the Tirlán Quality Grain Award for 2024.

They were singled out for their exceptional attention to detail in producing top quality grains on the family farm.

The Murphys from Killabeg, Ferns, Enniscorthy in Co. Wexford, also won the individual award for Winter (Cassia) Feed Barley for Harvest 2024.

The Murphy family was among 14 top grain growers commended at the highly-competitive Tirlán Quality Grain Awards 2024 ceremony that took place today (Wednesday, February 12) at The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

Tirlán chairperson, John Murphy said Tirlán is Ireland's largest buyer and user of native Irish grains.

“There has been a significant increase in the quantity of barley going to the brewing and distilling industry from Harvest 2024," Murphy said.

"It is wonderful to get the opportunity to celebrate and recognise the ‘cream of the crop’ among our dedicated and passionate growers here at the Guinness Storehouse today," he added.

Arthur and Ann Murphy have run a 900ac tillage enterprise in Co. Wexford for the past 50 years. They grow Cassia winter barley, winter equine oats, spring malting barley, oil seed rape and cover cropping using a plough-based system.

Arthur places a strong emphasis on nurturing his crops and pays close attention to plant nutrition and establishment of a thriving crop in order to maximise the crop’s potential.

Art and Ann have one daughter, Margaret, who works in the tillage industry with a crop protection company.

Once the crops are sown in spring time they are regularly checked at evening time. Philip Deacon has worked closely with Arthur for the past decade.

Deacon played a pivotal role in what was a challenging spring in 2024, where 700ac of cereals was sown in eight days, a record that they hope not to have to repeat any time soon.

This winning crop of Cassia barley had an average specific weight of 67.9KPH (hectolitre weight) at 17.2% moisture across almost 400t, with screenings of 1.9% and protein content of 10.1%.

For Harvest 2024, Tirlán said it has continued to deliver record pricing, with €210/t for green feed barley and €220/t for green feed wheat.

Chief agribusiness officer at Tirlán, Ailish Byrne said: “It is wonderful to see the commitment of our growers to excellence and delivering high quality grains for the marketplace.

"The growers recognised here today are reflective of hundreds of Tirlán growers continuously striving to nurture their lands to deliver the best crops for consumers to enjoy."