Kilmeaden Co-operative Society celebrates 100 years

Last Friday, 100 years of Kilmeaden Co-operative Society was marked by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Mr. Michael Creed T.D and Group Managing Director Siobhán Talbot at a celebratory event at the Kilmeaden CountryLife branch.

Kilmeaden Co-op was established in 1916, when the farmers of the Kilmeaden district contacted the Irish Agricultural Organisation and formed a Farmers Co-operative Society comprising of 100 members.

They acquired land to build a creamery building and in August 1916, the creamery took in its first milk.

In 1964, Kilmeaden, along with the four other co-operatives in Waterford at the time - Carrick on Suir, Dungarvan, Gaultier and Rathgormack; amalgamated to form the original Waterford Co-operative, bringing the co-operative movement into the next phase of its development.

One year later, the construction began of a cheese factory on a green field site opposite the general store in Kilmeaden. Here, cheddar cheese was produced and sold locally to farmers and Co-op employees. Kilmeaden Cheese went on to become one of the most recognised and successful cheddar brands in the world, as it continues to be to this day.

Production of the cheese moved to Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny in 2006 and the Kilmeaden brand continues to be made to the original recipe.

Although Kilmeaden is no longer processing cheese, the site has become the location of a Glanbia CountryLife home and garden store. A new, purpose-built 4,000 sq. ft. retail outlet and garden centre was built in Kilmeaden alongside the original branch and officially opened in November 2006.

First published 2nd August 2016