A unique family farm set-up is the setting for this year’s Dairy Summer Tour

The IGA Dairy Summer Tour, sponsored by AIB, heads to the picturesque Nire Valley in West Waterford on the 21^st July, where attendees will visit the farms of Michael & Noreen O’Gorman and Ollie & Anna O’Gorman.

In a twist to the normal running of the Summer Tour, there will be no bus transfers required this year as Michael and Ollie are farming right beside each other on the banks of the River Nire. On the day, we will be convening at Michael’s farm, with parking on-site, in Glasha, Co. Waterford, just outside Clonmel. Breakfast will be available on arrival, followed by the visit to Michael’s farm, then lunch and then onto Ollie’s farm, which is just across the road. There is always a good atmosphere and plenty of interaction during breakfast and lunch. This is a very popular IGA event, so book your place early to avoid disappointment.

Attendees will have the chance to hear about a unique story of how a family farm has been developed into two very successful farm businesses. Michael and Ollie are first cousins, their fathers, John and Paddy farmed together in partnership, after taking over the farm from their father, Patsy, in the mid-sixties up until 2008. In 2009, the partnership was dissolved and Michael and Ollie started their own farming careers, with 150 acres of owned land and 96 cows each.

Since then, Michael and Ollie have farmed independently but maintain a very close working relationship and both have developed their businesses significantly.  Michael milked 200 cows in 2025 while Ollie, in conjunction with his two brothers David and Pa, milked just under 1,000 cows across 5 units. These are two excellent farmers and there will be something for everyone on the day, from managing grass and cows to achieve high output, succession planning, business development and managing multiple units.

Donal Whelton, Head of Agri Sector in AIB said, ‘AIB is proud to continue our sponsorship of the IGA Dairy Summer Tour.  The IGA has sourced two excellent host farmers again this year and this year’s summer tour will be a great opportunity to see and hear from two progressive farmers who have successfully developed and grown their farm businesses with a focus on grass, cows and excellent management’.

Michael and Noreen O’Gorman

Michael and Noreen O’Gorman are farming with their three young children in Glasha, Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford. Michael qualified as an electrician before returning home to farm with his dad, John, in 2009. Tragically, John passed away only 3 months after Michael returned home to farm, leaving Michael to take the reins at the young age of 23.

Since then, Michael has increased cow numbers from 96 to 200 in 2025, where he supplied 562 kg/milk solids per cow at 5.15% fat and 3.98% protein, while feeding 1.3 ton of meal/cow. Fertility performance of the herd is excellent with 93% calved in 6 weeks and a 365-day calving interval. Michael has a crossbred herd with a current EBI of €159 and a strong focus on fertility and fat and protein percentages.

Despite a challenging year from a grass growth point of view, Michael still grew over 13.0 tons DM/ha. Michael has a very clear focus when it comes to grassland management, breeding management and the factors that influence profitability in grass-based production systems. A high milking platform stocking rate of 3.3 cows/ha, coupled with high milk solids production per cow and high grass utilisation are the key drivers of Michael’s farming mantra.

Michael will discuss the progress in his herd, the suitability of the cow type to his system, while optimising output and stocking rate to drive the technical efficiency and financial sustainability of the business.

Ollie and Anna O’Gorman

Ollie and Anna O’Gorman, along with their four young children, are also farming in Glasha, Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford, with the famous Glasha Farmhouse B&B, run by Ollie’s mother, Olive, also on the farm. Ollie graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science from UCD in 2006 before returning home to farm with his dad Paddy and uncle John (Michael’s dad) for 2 years until the partnership was dissolved in 2009.

Ollie started farming in his own right in 2009, with 150 owned acres and 96 cows at the age of 25. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey to the point where Ollie and his brothers David and Pa milked just under 1,000 cows across 5 units in 2025.

Glasha is the home farm for Ollie and the lynchpin of the entire business where he milked 330 crossbred cows in 2025 at a stocking rate of 2.8 cows/ha and delivered 465 kg milk solids at 5.00% fat and 3.96% protein. This was achieved from 800 kg meal. Grassland management is central to Ollie’s farming philosophy, and the farm grew 13.8 tons DM/ha in 2025.

On the day Ollie will discuss how he achieves high performance whilst operating at scale across multiple units. He will discuss the importance of utilising as much grass as possible, how he assesses new opportunities and what is he looking for when they arise. He will discuss managing multiple units, staff and developing people, with multiple placement students having gone on to work for Ollie and both of his brothers.