THE STORY
OF
ARRABAWN CO-OP
Quality Milk Award winners in the Athenry area 2002, (front) Martin Callan, Board Member, Michael Moran, Board Member, Thomas Colleran, Chairman, Arrabawn Co-Op, Thomas Keenan, Board Member, Michael Casserley, Board Member. Back row - Joe Conaty (first), Francis Tuohey, Board Member, Christy O’Connor, Liquid Milk Award winner, Thomas Patrick McMahon (second), Michael O’Dwyer, Arrabawn Co-Op., Oliver O’Connell and Ollie Flanagan.
O’Connor; Athenry - Patrick Greaney and Padraig Raftery; Kilconnell - Bernard Monaghan and Lawrence Larkin.
to 100,000 gallons of milk per day. The projected cost of the creamery at Kilconnell was doubled to £120,000 with the equipment to be installed to cost an additional £60,000. The target date for the beginning of 1964 was not met.
Intake at Athenry for the first six months was 975,000 gallons. The Clonbern separating Station handled 750,000 gallons for the first half year and intake for the first six months at Athlone was 700,000 gallons.
Milk production was firmly established on the small farms in the West where it was replacing some of the more traditional enterprises on the farms. Following the opening of the separating stations farmers in the Clonbern, Athlone and Athenry districts showed more interest in becoming involved in their own dairy co-ops.
Work on the building of the central creamery at Kilconnell was delayed with a revised target opening date of January 1964. The creamery, when completed would have capacity to process up
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