Carlow farmer Evan McDonnell is taking home the top prize for his malting barley crop at the Irish Malting Barley Excellence Awards.

The annual prize has been presented to barley growers since 1954. The award is organised by Boortmalt, one of the largest producers of malted barley in the work and hosted by Diageo Ireland – the largest purchaser of malting barley in Ireland.

Carlow farmer Evan McDonnell is taking home the top prize for his malting barley crop at the Irish Malting Barley Excellence Awards.

McDonnell said it was a great honour to win the title.

“I join a list of talented and skilled farmers who have held the Guinness Perpetual Cup since 1954,” he said.

“I’m delighted that this title is coming to Carlow this year. My winning formula for success is that early sowing is important and after that a lot is dependent on the weather.”

The list of 2019 winners include:

  • Carlow Malting Barley Growers (Dalton’s Intake): Evan McDonnell, Mortarstown, Co Carlow.
  • New Ross Malting Barley Intake: Tom Foley, Carrigadaggin, Newbawn, Co Wexford
  • Cooladine & Tintern Malting Barley Intake: Joe Chapman, Barnstown, Fethard on Sea, Co Wexford
  • Ballycarney Malting Barley Intake: Seamus Doyle, Munfin Lower, Ballycarney, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
  • Athy Malting Barley Growers: Eimear and John Connolly, Ballyfoyle, Maganey, Co Kildare.
  • Stradbally Malting Barley Intake: Denis Mahon, Old Grange, Monasterevin, Co Kildare
  • And the 2019 Best Boortmalt Seed Grower is Martin Ryan Farms Ltd, Raheen, Bunclody, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
  • The key account manager for Boortmalt Charles Tozer congratulated the winners and said: “We look forward to increasing our capacity by 40% to 140,000t of malted barley each year and we expect full production from the middle of 2020.”

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