This week’s news that Aurivo will close its liquid milk facility in Sligo and move all its operations to one site in Killygordon, Co Donegal, means that there will be only ten liquid milk plants left in the Republic of Ireland.

Over the last two decades the liquid milk business in Ireland has gone through a steady process of rationalisation.

Glanbia is the largest producer of liquid milk in Ireland, with its Avonmore brand the second highest selling grocery brand in Ireland. Glanbia also produces a range of leading local milk brands including Premier milk. The company operates two liquid milk facilities, located in Drogheda and Ballytore, Co Kildare.

Kerry once had a number of liquid milk facilities scattered throughout Ireland and operated under the Dawn Dairies brand.

Kerry sold its Dawn business in Cork to Clona Dairies in 2000, and subsequently closed its facilities in Moate, Co Westmeath, and Tuam, Co Galway.

In 2010, Kerry sold its Dawn business located in Renmore, outside Galway city to Arrabawn. Arrabawn then closed the facility and moved its liquid milk business to one site in its state-of-the-art plant in Kilconnell, Galway, which was built in 2004.

In 2011, Kerry sold its Golden Vale and Dawn Dairies liquid milk facilities in Limerick to Glanbia. In less than a year, Glanbia closed both plants and moved all activities to its plants in Ballytore and Drogheda, which brought an end to a 120-year tradition of milk processing in the city.

Kerry finally exited the liquid milk business altogether in 2013 with the sale of its last Dawn Dairies facility to Lee Strand co-op.

Some of the smaller co-ops like Centenary Thurles and North Cork co-op in Kanturk still operate liquid milk facilities.

GIIL acquired the Wexford liquid milk facility this year, but we will have to wait and see what they decide to do with that plant.