Last Saturday, one of the pivotal figures in the history of Irish agriculture was laid to rest in the cemetery adjoining Midleton parish church.

Denis Lucey was best known as the first chief executive of Dairygold, which was the name chosen when the two major Munster co-ops of Ballyclough and Mitchelstown amalgamated in 1990 to form the largest dairy co-op in Ireland at the time.

He steered the merged entity with skill eliminating overlapping units, driving profitability, sharing facilities with neighbours, developing new whey-based products, strongly backing the co-operative marketing body Bord Bainne (since renamed Ornua) while always conscious that the primary interests to be served were those of the farmer owner/suppliers.

Denis Lucey was a native of Carriganima, near Macroom and on the basis of his Leaving Certificate results was awarded a scholarship to study dairy science at UCC.

Before he became head of Dairygold, he first worked in Park Co-op in east Cork, then in Mogeely and, in 1982 was appointed CEO of Mitchelstown Co-op. During his time as head of Dairygold, Denis served as an unpaid director of the Irish Farmers Journal (The Agricultural Trust). He brought business experience and agricultural acumen to the board as well as a culture of governance that was based on an appropriateness and common sense. In 2003, he retired as chief executive of Dairygold and joined the Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society (IAWS) as a board member becoming chairman in 2005.

The booming Irish economy coupled with co-op rationalisation meant that the original role of supplying inputs to its co-op members was becoming more difficult to sustain.

The end result was that he steered through the formation and launching of the giant Irish Swiss bakery public company Aryzta.

Denis retired after 11 years from the chair of Aryzta at the age of 79.

He continued to take an active interest in field sports, agriculture and science after his retirement.

The Irish Farmers Journal was one of the mementos brought up at his funeral mass.

He is survived by his wife Noreen, children June, Pat, Ele and Steve. We offer them our deep condolences.