Margaret Farrelly married her husband Leo in 1983. From the outset, she was an innovator. She needed to supplement their income on the small dairy farm and an opportunity arose to purchase 150 free-range hens and supply a local packer. In order to satisfy demand, the Farrellys had to expand rapidly. Margaret admits that she learned on the hoof. The business grew organically and Leo applied for a licence to sell eggs in 1988. All was well until Leo had a very serious accident in 1996. Decisions had to be made. The cows had to go as Margaret knew she could manage the hens, allowing the time for Leo to get well again.

One of Margaret’s innovations was to tap into the new markets that were focussing on healthy living. In 2000, she developed the Mega Egg. The Mega Egg is a free-range egg that is naturally enriched with omega 3, selenium and vitamin E through the hens’ diet. At this time, Margaret introduced the first coloured pack to the Irish shelves to make O’Egg stand out. The “O” stands for outdoor.

Margaret also noticed a demand for white eggs as other ethnic groups moved to Ireland, so she started to produce white eggs as well as brown. She introduced a pink pack for them as it was synonymous with Aoibheann’s Pink Tie; a charity organisation that supports families of children going through cancer treatment. This served the conscientious consumer.

Over the last decade, the consumer has demanded healthy convenience food. Margaret wanted to tap into this market and solve the problem of unsalable small eggs and extra-large eggs. Over seven years, she researched and brought to market the first bottled, free-range eggs and the first bottled free range egg whites for the catering industry. Margaret’s philosophy is simple; natural, free range and 100% Irish. She supplies Musgrave’s own-brand label in SuperValu and Centra stores all over the country.

Margaret is currently the owner and managing director of Clonarn Clover, the company behind the O’Egg brand. She now has 9,000 hens on the farm. A mentor to family and beyond, she has three children, Annmarie, Aileen and Killian, who are all involved in the business. In turn, Clonarn Clover transfers its knowledge to the wider community through education and technical support. Currently 21 other families supply eggs to Clonarn Clover from 161,000 free-range hens. The company employs 33 people.

Margaret is completely dedicated to the free-range philosophy and safety of the environment. She works closely with Bord Bia, the Department of Agriculture and Food and other agencies. She has always grasped the opportunities afforded her with acumen and verve to develop the business into the profitable entity it is today.

“I love who we are and what we’re doing. I now have the confidence to do whatever it takes,” says Margaret.