In February, Wexford growers Arthur and Ann Murphy enjoyed a double success at the annual Tirlán Quality Grain Awards. Irish Tractor Agri & Plant touched base with Arthur Murphy to hear all about it and learn more on the tillage enterprise outside of Enniscorthy which has been in his family for generations now.
These are busy times at the Murphy Farm in Killabeg, Ferns, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, where they run a busy tillage enterprise.
The family farm is operated by husband-and-wife Arthur and Ann Murphy who are well known as champion growers within the area.
The Murphys grow Cassia winter barley, winter equine oats, spring malting barley, oil seed rape, while they also cover cropping through the use of plough-based system.
Irish Tractor Agri & Plant spoke with Arthur Murphy to hear more about the exceptional attention to detail that goes into producing top quality grains on his farm.
“We’re based in Killabeg, Ferns, Enniscorthy and there’s one man working full-time with us, Philip Deacon, and another farmer comes in in the spring and gives me a hand then and the harvest season,” he outlined.
“We’re on about 200 acres of owned land here and the rest is all long-term leases. Out of the 900 acres, there is some contract work that I do for a neighbour as well.”
Arthur himself is a proud member of the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) since its inception and feels that it’s a group which is “doing great work”.
The group itself represents arable farmers in the Midlands, South East and South regions of the country with an aim to focus on and promote all the positive aspects tillage farming and therefore try to improve the industry by promoting constructive communication amongst growers, consumers, manufacturers and policy makers.
Arthur himself has been immersed in tillage farming all of his life and is proud to be a part of what the IGGG has done to date.
At Murphy Family Farm, they grow their products for two clients – one of which is Ireland’s largest buyer and user of native Irish grains.
“We grow malt barley for Kavanaghs Boortmalt and then with Tirlán we grow Cassia winter barley, winter equine oats,” said Arthur.
“In the area where I live here, there’s tillage people that do nothing else only tillage and have been doing it for generations.”
The Murphys have a proven track record for quality when it comes to their produce and, according to Arthur, they’ve been coming out on top despite all the challenges that are out there at the moment.
“Business is good. The last couple of years have been difficult years but, in saying that, they were rewarding years to us,” said the Model County native.
“You are always worried about the weather. It’s been good and we’ve most of the ploughing finished at the moment and we would like now to be drilling grain because it gives you a better run into the year.
“You’re spraying earlier and, if you’re harvesting spring grain at the end of July/start of August, it’s much better when it gets into September. September is a lost month for harvesting, end of story.”
Of course, none of the excellent work can be done year in, year out without the right machinery at the grower’s disposal.
When it comes to this, the Murphys have always kept their faith with the trusted John Deere brand.
“We have seven tractors and we tend to be a little bit overstocked in tractors. Everything in the place is John Deere except the wheelbarrow,” Arthur pointed out.
“There are no plans to buy anything new right now, but when I buy it’d tend to be in the middle of summer. That’s the way we do it and we usually pick it up at TFM Enniscorthy.”
On February 12th, the Murphys won the coveted Grain Grower of the Year title at the Tirlán Quality Grain Award for 2024, and also added the individual award for Winter (Cassia) Feed Barley for harvest at the same event.
Speaking at the event held at the Guinness Storehouse, where Arthur was in attendance along with his daughter Margaret, the Wexford man was both surprised and honoured by the awards.
“We’re delighted to win the overall prize this year. One of the crops we grow is our award-winning cassia winter barley and it is fantastic to see our barley being used in iconic drinks that are enjoyed all over the world,” he stated.
“We’ve been farming for generations on our family farm in Wexford and suppliers of grain to Tirlán for decades. We place strong emphasis on nurturing our crops, soil health and pay close attention to plant nutrition to maximise the crop’s potential.
“2024 was an extremely challenging spring for us and we only had an eight-day window in which to sow. It was a challenge, but we got it done. We couldn’t have done it without the wonderful support of our agronomist Fintan Treacy and Philip Deacon who works with us.”
Looking ahead at the coming months for the farm in Killabeg, Arthur says he’s hoping for improved weather first and foremost.
As for what he feels separates his produce from other competitors in the market, he points towards quality above all else.
“We use organic pig slurry, a lot of cover crops and we try to be as good as we can on the water quality, so there’s a big emphasis on that. Look it, there are so many rules and regulations that it’s hard to keep up with it, but we do our best,” Arthur concluded.
Murphy Family Farm
Killabeg,
Ferns,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford.
Mobile: 087 261 6056
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 13 No 1, Spring 2025
