Supporting Co-op members in the River Barrow Catchment

Sustainability isn’t just about the environment, it’s about economic sustainability too. As a member of Tirlán’s Agri-Sustainability team, my role is to work directly with suppliers to deliver practical, measurable improvements in nutrient efficiency, water quality, and overall farm resilience.

 

Hugh Harney, Tirlan's Agri Sustainability Team.

Improving nutrient management on farms

A major focus of our work is nutrient management, helping farmers in nutrient planning, and advising on optimised slurry timing and application. We want to help farmers get more value from nutrients through optimised application and timing which will help reduce farm costs and reduce the amount of nutrients lost to water and through emissions. The aim is to grow more grass by incorporating clover, getting better use of slurry and following a targeted nutrient management plan.

Focus on priority catchments

The EPA has identified eight priority catchments nationally where targeted action is required to maintain the nitrates derogation and improve water quality status in the Tirlán catchment area. These priority catchments include the Barrow, Nore, Suir, Slaney, Blackwater and Boyne.

I work with our farm family Co-op Members in the River Barrow catchment, stretching from the Slieve Bloom Mountains to Waterford Harbour. It contains an extensive network of rivers and streams. It’s considered a catchment of concern due to pressures from diffuse agricultural sources. Although agriculture is not the only factor influencing water quality in the Barrow, farmers together with their Tirlán Farm Sustainability advisors are addressing these issues which requires targeted, farm-specific actions, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Collaborative action for better water quality

Building on the great progress in the Slaney catchment, Tirlán is extending this collaborative model through the Better Farming for Water Campaign together with Teagasc and other stakeholders, offering practical guidance on slurry management, buffer zones, minimising dirty yards, roadway and yard infrastructure, and protection around watercourses. Through the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), farmers receive confidential, tailored water-quality plans, while the Farming for Water EIP funding supports measures such as fencing off watercourses, sediment traps, farmyard settlement tanks and farmyard bucket and brushes, to name a few.

Supporting Farmers through the Sustainability Action Payment

The Tirlán Sustainability Action Payment provides 0.5c/L (incl. VAT) to farmers who complete key sustainability actions such as grass measuring, protected urea, LESS, and improved nutrient planning. These measures improve the overall farm productivity while aiding in reduced costs and minimising your farm’s environmental impact. Your Farm Sustainability Development Advisor can help you take these positive actions.

Get in touch

By combining financial incentives, targeted advisory support and catchment focused collaboration, Tirlán’s Farm Sustainability Development Advisors help farmers improve environmental performance while strengthening long-term farm profitability and resilience.

 

We are here to help. Contact your local Farm Sustainability Development Advisor today:

Advisor	Catchment	Contact
Michael Hassett	Blackwater & Suir	T: +353 86 1073957 E: [email protected]
Ciara Doyle	Slaney	T: +353 86 1361544 E: [email protected]
Hugh Harney	Barrow	T: +353 86 836 6628 E: [email protected]
Conor Kelly	Barrow & Suir	T: +353 86 204 1446 E: [email protected]
Manus Mcfadden	Suir & Blackwater	T: +353 86 810 0697 E: [email protected]
Sarah O’Sullivan	Nore	T: +353 862036903 E: [email protected]
Mathew Moylan	Nore	T:  +353 86 103 7766 E: [email protected]
Eoin Cahill	Nore	T: +353 86 033 4159 E: [email protected]
Sean Martyn	Boyne	T: +353 86 176 3036 E: [email protected]

 

Published 25 February 2026