1B. Potato Field Event including Malahide Castle and North Dublin Coastline Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:45
Departure Location: RDS

A visit to the farm of Michael and Geraldine Hoey, Maple Lodge Farm in North County Dublin, will combine a number of activities from various sponsors of the World Potato Congress including:

AgriCo
AgriCo aim to deliver excellence in what they do, consulting with their customers to ensure they have knowledge of the markets and consumer profiles worldwide. At their core they breed innovative varieties for future generations. They aim to supply the highest quality certified seed potatoes to their customers in a reliable and sustainable way. Come and visit AgriCo at Maple Lodge Farm where they will introduce you to their Next Generation varieties with their excellent agronomic attributes and proven culinary appeal.

Grimme
Grimme, the world leader in potato technology and root crops, invite you to visit them at Maple Lodge Farm for an introduction to the latest in Planting & Harvesting technology. They will be demonstrating the innovative features of the GB 430 variable rate planter, the CCI 1200 and the VAR 470 harvester. They will also be presenting the Grimme i-systems concept featuring SmartView, the next generation of video systems and myGRIMME, the ultimate end-customer platform.

IPM Potato Group
IPM is Ireland’s leading Seed Potato Company – new improved potato varieties are developed in Ireland, in collaboration with Teagasc.  Seed is produced in Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands and France and seed potatoes are marketed to customers in Ireland, the UK, Europe, North Africa and further afield.  Delegates will get a chance to visit their stand at the event and see their varieties and discuss opportunities with their new varieties.

John Deere
John Deere will be showcasing its latest tractors and market leading precision ag technology, backed by dealer Connected Support systems and John Deere Financial services. Precision ag systems are proven to save time, diesel, fertiliser and sprays, and are particularly beneficial for potato production. With high levels of repeatable accuracy, they help maximise every aspect of field operations and make things simpler at all stages from planting to lifting.

Alltech Crop Science
Alltech Crop Science is a division of Alltech, a privately-held animal health and nutrition company. For nearly 25 years, Alltech Crop Science has been a global leader in the application of microbial fermentation and nutrigenomic research to enhance yields, reduce stress and improve health in crops. Come and visit our stand at Maple Lodge Farm, where you will learn more about maximising sustainable potato production.

Teagasc
Teagasc are the national research, education and training organisation in Ireland who provide services to all farming sectors including dairy, drystock, crops and horticulture, equine, pigs, poultry and forestry. Teagasc advisors are based in every county in Ireland providing advisory services to our clients. Come visit us at Maple Farm Lodge and see some of our up to date information which can assist farmers in their business.

Keogh’s
Keogh’s have been farming the fertile lands of North County Dublin for over 200 years and are proud of our family heritage, hard work and passion for producing the finest quality potatoes, crisps and snacks. We’re looking forward to meeting you at Maple Lodge Farm, where you will be able to try our award winning crisps … that are Grown with Love in Ireland.

Vintage Tractor Museum
For anyone with even a vague interest in tractors, Michael Hoey’s vintage tractor collection is a hidden treasure. Delegates will tour a number of buildings, each filled with an incredible collection of vintage tractors and machinery in pristine condition – many laid out in different working scenes and surrounded by vintage signs and other memorabilia making for a fantastic experience. Hoey’s collection is recognised as one of the best collections in Europe.

Malahide Castle
From the Potato Field Event, delegates will travel to Malahide Castle. This magnificent medieval castle with a dramatic 800 year heritage is where generations of the Talbot family have called  it home. Hear their stories, explore the private rooms and collections, and discover the central part this castle played in Irish political and social life on a guided tour. Malahide Castle also has a walled garden, which started life as a kitchen garden to cultivate fruit and vegetables over 200 years ago. As you walk down winding stone paths, find Isobel Talbot’s pond, the blooming Rose Garden and the famous Victorian Conservatory.

On the way back to Dublin delegates will be brought along the spectacular North shore of Dublin, where a view of Howth Head, Bull Island Bird Sanctuary and other sights can be seen.

Bloom Festival
From there delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

1C. Potato Field Event including Newbridge House and Farm as well as North Dublin Coastline Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:45
Departure Location: RDS

A visit to the farm of Michael and Geraldine Hoey, Maple Lodge Farm in North County Dublin, will combine a number of activities from various sponsors of the World Potato Congress including:

AgriCo
AgriCo aim to deliver excellence in what they do, consulting with their customers to ensure they have knowledge of the markets and consumer profiles worldwide. At their core they breed innovative varieties for future generations. They aim to supply the highest quality certified seed potatoes to their customers in a reliable and sustainable way. Come and visit AgriCo at Maple Lodge Farm where they will introduce you to their Next Generation varieties with their excellent agronomic attributes and proven culinary appeal.

Grimme
Grimme, the world leader in potato technology and root crops, invite you to visit them at Maple Lodge Farm for an introduction to the latest in Planting & Harvesting technology. They will be demonstrating the innovative features of the GB 430 variable rate planter, the CCI 1200 and the VAR 470 harvester. They will also be presenting the Grimme i-systems concept featuring SmartView, the next generation of video systems and myGRIMME, the ultimate end-customer platform.

IPM Potato Group
IPM is Ireland’s leading Seed Potato Company – new improved potato varieties are developed in Ireland, in collaboration with Teagasc.  Seed is produced in Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands and France and seed potatoes are marketed to customers in Ireland, the UK, Europe, North Africa and further afield.  Delegates will get a chance to visit their stand at the event and see their varieties and discuss opportunities with their new varieties.

John Deere
John Deere will be showcasing its latest tractors and market leading precision ag technology, backed by dealer Connected Support systems and John Deere Financial services. Precision ag systems are proven to save time, diesel, fertiliser and sprays, and are particularly beneficial for potato production. With high levels of repeatable accuracy, they help maximise every aspect of field operations and make things simpler at all stages from planting to lifting.

Alltech Crop Science
Alltech Crop Science is a division of Alltech, a privately-held animal health and nutrition company. For nearly 25 years, Alltech Crop Science has been a global leader in the application of microbial fermentation and nutrigenomic research to enhance yields, reduce stress and improve health in crops. Come and visit our stand at Maple Lodge Farm, where you will learn more about maximising sustainable potato production.

Teagasc
Teagasc are the national research, education and training organisation in Ireland who provide services to all farming sectors including dairy, drystock, crops and horticulture, equine, pigs, poultry and forestry. Teagasc advisors are based in every county in Ireland providing advisory services to our clients. Come visit us at Maple Farm Lodge and see some of our up to date information which can assist farmers in their business.

Keogh’s
Keogh’s have been farming the fertile lands of North County Dublin for over 200 years and are proud of our family heritage, hard work and passion for producing the finest quality potatoes, crisps and snacks. We’re looking forward to meeting you at Maple Lodge Farm, where you will be able to try our award winning crisps … that are Grown with Love in Ireland.

Vintage Tractor Museum
For anyone with even a vague interest in tractors, Michael Hoey’s vintage tractor collection is a hidden treasure. Delegates will tour a number of buildings, each filled with an incredible collection of vintage tractors and machinery in pristine condition – many laid out in different working scenes and surrounded by vintage signs and other memorabilia making for a fantastic experience. Hoey’s collection is recognised as one of the best collections in Europe.

Newbridge House and Farm
After your visit at the Potato Farm Event you will step back in time in Ireland’s only intact Georgian mansion, the Newbridge House. Visitors to Newbridge House will learn about its illustrious history on a tour through three centuries of history of the Georgian mansion and estate. You will see the Cabinet of Curiosities, created in 1790 it is one of the few remaining family museums in Ireland and the UK filled to the brim with antiquities and oddities. You will also enjoy the walled garden and the farmyard, with animals such as Shetland and Connemara ponies, pigs, goats, baby chicks, bunnies, birds and much more.

On the way back to Dublin delegates will be brought along the spectacular North shore of Dublin, where a view of Howth Head, Bull Island Bird Sanctuary and other sights can be seen.

Bloom Festival
From there delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

2A. Meade Potato Farm including Slane Castle & Distillery Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:45
Departure Location: RDS

The tour will start with a visit at Slane Castle and Distillery. The castle situated in a dramatic setting by the river Boyne, is one of the most exciting buildings architecturally in Ireland. You will enjoy a guided tour of both Slane Distillery and Slane Castle. At the working distillery, you can see and learn how they make their Irish whiskey, from how they source their grains through to maturation. The tour culminates in a tutored tasting of our signature Triple Casked Slane Irish Whiskey. At Slane Castle, home to the Conyngham family since 1703, you can take in the 18th Century interiors and learn about its colourful heritage and history, including the legendary Slane Rock Concerts.

From Slane Castle, delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Followed by a technical tour at the Meade Farm with a field visit on site with their Farm Manager discussing their growing operations.

Nestled in the heart of the Meath / Louth potato growing region in the fertile Boyne Valley, Meade Farm benefits from a rich, loamy soil full of ‘cake’ from the fattening of cattle. On their home farm they grow main crop varieties such as Rooster and Maris Piper, while their sandier land closer to the coast is hospitable for the early varieties. In an area rich in history, with Newgrange, Monasterboice, Mellifont Abbey, the Hill of Slane and other amazing tourist destinations on their doorstep, they are proud to contribute to the strong agricultural heritage with a beautiful backdrop of green fields for passersby.

The Meade farm and food production facility started as single packing store and has grown into a state of the art operation, employing over 300 people, with five main production areas for Potatoes, Prepared Foods, Starch Extraction, Fruit and Vegetables. These production areas and the accompanying cold stores are designed with energy efficiency and resource conservation in mind, using heat exchangers, inverters, a wind turbine, solar panels, skylights, LED lighting, water filtration systems, rainwater harvesting tanks and a host of other sustainability features including a dedicated recycling station and a resident beekeeper. They are a zero food waste facility that hopes to become carbon neutral in the coming years.

Delegates will learn about the Meade Potato Farm approach to potato production, how it fits with their other growing operations, why sustainability is a driving force for innovation and diversification and why they think their starch extraction plant will help potato growers.

From Meade Potato Starch delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city, and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

2B. Meade Potato Farm including Trim Castle Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:45
Departure Location: RDS

Nestled in the heart of the Meath / Louth potato growing region in the fertile Boyne Valley, Meade Farm benefits from a rich, loamy soil full of ‘cake’ from the fattening of cattle. On their home farm they grow main crop varieties such as Rooster and Maris Piper, while their sandier land closer to the coast is hospitable for the early varieties.  In an area rich in history, with Newgrange, Monsterboice, Mellifont Abbey, the Hill of Slane and other amazing tourist destinations on their doorstep, they are proud to contribute to the strong agricultural heritage with a beautiful backdrop of green fields for passersby.

The Meade farm and food production facility started as single packing store and has grown into a state of the art operation, employing over 300 people, with five main production areas for Potatoes, Prepared Foods, Starch Extraction, Fruit and Vegetables.  These production areas and the accompanying cold stores are designed with energy efficiency and resource conservation in mind, using heat exchangers, inverters, a wind turbine, solar panels, skylights, LED lighting, water filtration systems, rainwater harvesting tanks and a host of other sustainability features including a dedicated recycling station and a resident beekeeper.  They are a zero food waste facility that hopes to become carbon neutral in the coming years.

Delegates will learn about Meade Potato Farm approach to potato production, how it fits with their other growing operations, why sustainability is a driving force for innovation and diversification and why they think their starch extraction plant will help potato growers.

The tour will start with a field visit on site with their Farm Manager discussing their growing operations.  

Delegates will the continue to the Potato Division of the Farm with a Sustainability discussion given along the way. The tour of the farm will finish with a tour of the Potato Starch Extraction Plant.

From Meade Potato Starch delegates will travel to Trim Castle. A forbidding fortress in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, Trim Castle is one of Ireland’s finest medieval castles. For more than 800 years, Trim Castle has sat on the south bank of the River Boyne in County Meath with a massive, brooding presence that dominates this quiet town. This guided tour to Ireland’s largest Norman castle, built by a legendary lord with a bad reputation, will offer a fascinating glimpse into life in medieval Ireland.

From Trim Castle, delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

3. Sam Dennigan & Co including Teeling Distillery Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 08:00
Departure Location: RDS

Personifying Irish business drive and entrepreneurial flair at its very best, this wholly owned Irish family business is a must-see for the visiting potato professional.

Situated in the gently rolling rural landscape of North County Dublin, the heartland of Irish horticultural production, Sam Dennigan and Company UC was founded in 1976 by Samuel Laurence Dennigan who originally began trading in seed and ware potatoes. Today, owned and managed by two brothers and directors Joe and Sam Dennigan, the company has grown to become a dynamic, thriving, global fresh produce business with over 600 employees.

Upon arrival, visitors will receive a short overview followed by a guided tour of the most modern, temperature-controlled potato store, pack-house and nationwide distribution hub, in full operation. Locally produced potatoes will be observed undergoing washing, grading and packing to the highest standard into a wide range of pack sizes for distribution to Ireland’s leading supermarket chain, along with wholesale and food service outlets nationwide.

Being an active participant in ‘Origin Green’ (Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability programme, independently audited and run by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board) visitors  will have the opportunity to observe a suite of highly innovative sustainability and  environmental measures such as an Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICW) project, water treatment, renewable energy sourcing and waste recycling, delivering targeted reductions in the use of non-renewable energy, carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.

Despite becoming a thriving international business, the company  remains firmly  embedded in the landscape, history and personality of North County Dublin and within the local community. In a blend of tradition and modernity, many of those farm families who began supplying the company in 1976 are still doing so today. Its strategic importance to the local economy and its roots in the local community will ensure the company’s ability to provide safe, sustainably-produced food to Irish consumers for generations to come.

Following lunch in a local traditional restaurant where fresh tasty food is crafted with locally sourced ingredients and served with a smile, delegates will travel back to Dublin to visit the famous Teeling Distillery. At Teeling Whiskey, they are renowned for their vision in doing things differently and with deep roots in distilling pedigree dating back to 1782, they have shaped the Irish Whiskey landscape through the generations.

Delegates will finish their tour at the Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. The event will be hosted by the Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

4. Teagasc, Johnstown Castle & Irish Famine Museum Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:30
Departure Location: RDS

Delegates will travel to Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens, which has a long and colourful story stretching over 800 years. The campus is also Home to Teagasc (the Agriculture and Food Development Authority), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture Food, and the Marine (DAFM).

On arrival, there will be short technical presentations and a tour of the farm and some ongoing experiments from staff of the Crops Environment and Land Use Department of Teagasc, (the Agriculture and Food Development Authority). These presentations will cover Potato, Sustainability, Climate Change and Soil Health Research. Teagasc has a long history of potato research and is home to The Teagasc/IPM Potato group breeding programme which began in 1962 and has released over 45 varieties including Cara, Rooster, Nectar, Burren and Electra.

Teagasc is the leading Irish public organisation in the fields of agriculture and food research and undertakes innovative research, knowledge dissemination and education covering broad thematic areas also including Animal and Grassland, Food and Rural Economy and Development.

This will be followed by tours of Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens. The 3 in 1 attraction has a range of activities for all ages. Delegates will enjoy a tour of the restored 19th-century Castle and unique servants’ tunnel – the longest domestic servants’ tunnel in Ireland. You will be then brought to the fascinating Irish Agricultural Museum which displays one of the most comprehensive exhibits of farming and rural life in Ireland. Delegates can also take a stroll in the stunning gardens, lake walks and woodlands or have a picnic around the picturesque lakes. Watch the peacocks strut by displaying their finery at the castle lakeside with its Gothic towers, waterfall and statues.

Delegates will finish their tour at the Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event will be hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

5. O’Shea’s Farm with Kilkenny Castle Tour

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:30
Departure Location: RDS

The O’Shea family have farmed on the banks of the river Suir in South Kilkenny since the 1830’s. Today the sixth generation of the family run a mixed enterprise of carrots, potatoes, cereals, and a herd of dairy cows. The fertile loamy soil of the river valley is ideal for agriculture and the mild South Eastern climate is well suited to growing potatoes.

O’Shea family work in partnership with their marketing arm, Iverk Produce, on the same site selling their carrots and potatoes, along with a wide range of other locally produced fresh Irish fruit and vegetables. Together they employ 150 staff.

They also work in partnership with Meadowfresh Foods who supply freshly prepared produce for catering and retail industries. A strong relationship with them ensures that no part of the crop is wasted, with full control over production, grading, storage, packing and delivery. This ensures 100% traceability from field to fork.

They place great value on the environment they work in, their staff, and the community they live among. They have a passion for growing potatoes and have become market leaders in potato husbandry and storage, growing traditional varieties, trialing new varieties, and expanding Irish salad potato crops with scientific expertise from their dedicated agronomists.

Over forty local potato and carrot growers send their produce to O’Shea Farms for processing and packing. Processing lines include optical sorters, robotic arms, and high-speed packers. Also, five refrigerated potato stores hold crops for eleven months of the year.

Your visit will include a tour of their modern carrot and potato grading, packing and storage facilities, followed by a visit to Iverk Produce’s packhouse and stores. A short briefing on 960 solar panels supplying their energy needs, and their Integrated Wetland wastewater Management system will be included. Your tour will end at the O’Shea Family museum.

From the O’Sheas Farm, delegates will travel to the historic Kilkenny City and visit the magnificent Kilkenny Castle located in the heart of the city. Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, the Castle has been rebuilt, extended and adapted to suit changing circumstances and uses over a period of 800 years. Today, Kilkenny Castle is largely a Victorian remodelling of the thirteenth century defensive Castle. You can walk through its fifty acres of rolling parkland with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife. Other features include a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century.

From there delegates will travel to Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.

6. Northern Ireland Tour to Wilson’s Country & Belfast Titanic

Date: Thursday, 2nd June
Departure Time: 07:00
Departure Location: RDS

Wilson’s Country has a long and proud tradition, started by Angus Wilson on his home farm in Co Armagh, serving a small section of the rural community. Over the years the brand and range has  evolved by continually listening and reacting to customer’s needs through focus groups, market research and consumer insight. Wilson’s put the customer at the centre of everything they do.

Wilson’s Country work closely with 25 growers throughout Ireland to ensure the varieties and crops selected suit the local tastes and needs.

Wilson’s team will give you an overview of the potato market in the British Isles, touching on the surprising differences between the markets in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, followed by a brief update on how Wilson’s Country has endeavoured to develop its business in all areas.

From Wilson’s our delegates will travel to Belfast to visit the World’s largest Titanic visitor experience and must-see attraction in Northern Ireland.

Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic, from its conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through its construction and launch, to its maiden voyage and subsequent place in history. The Titanic Experience extends over nine interpretive and interactive galleries, which explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of RMS Titanic, as well as the city and people who made it. Guests can then complete their Titanic Experience by walking the decks, exploring the ship, and take a journey through over 100 years of authentic maritime and social history.

From Belfast, our group will travel back to Dublin to join the WPC 2022 delegates at Bloom Festival, Ireland’s largest annual gardening show. The event is hosted by Irish Food Board, Bord Bia.

Bloom was launched by Bord Bia in 2007 and over the intervening years it has become Ireland’s largest and most successful family event with 115,000 visitors in attendance each year. Bloom is now recognised as one of Europe’s most prestigious gardening and horticultural shows. It has also become an important sales and promotional platform for Irish food and beverages. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park at the centre of our capital city and it is held annually over five days in early June. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins is Bloom’s patron and he officially opens the show each year. Bloom is organised by a dedicated team who collaborate with Ireland’s top garden designers, plant nurseries and landscape contractors to ensure that Bloom has a high impact horticultural centre piece that is surrounded by a wide range of family-friendly features, musical entertainment, great food offerings, sales areas, teaching and demonstration spaces that combine to make Bloom a great experience for visitors of all ages. The Bloom show garden designers are achieving the highest international standards possible with over 11 gold medals awarded in 2019.

On arrival delegates will be directed to the Food Village to experience fresh produce and potato features and the company food stalls. You will also get an opportunity in your own time to tour the show and experience the full Bloom atmosphere.

An optional Garden Supper ticket can be purchased to an evening event organised by Bord Bia at the Bloom Festival. Guests wishing to participate in the evening Garden Supper can purchase their tickets during the congress registration process.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bloom event.