Gaultier Co-op

This section of the website is derived from a booklet published in 1994 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gaultier Co-op. The booklet was assembled by Walter Parkinson and John Murray, authored by Larry Sheedy, with supplementary content contributed by Walter Parkinson. 

Centenary 1894 - 1994

PROLOGUE

Gaultier Co-op, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 1994, is a landmark on the approach to the East Waterford resort of Dunmore East.

It takes its name from the Barony of Gaultier which stretches from Ballygunner in the West to Dunmore East and from Cheekpoint / Passage in the North to Tramore in the South.

The area has many tourist attractions. Dunmore East is renowned for fishing and sailing, Tramore for its endless beaches and superb golfing facilities. The whole area is noted for the fact that it is also the place where the river Suir meets its sisters, the Barrow and the Nore, which flow together and exit between Hook and Crook.

Historically the Barony is noted for its thriving weaving industry, which engaged so many of the small cottages of the Barony. It is also renowned in song for the treacherous fate of the Croppy Boy.

"At Geneva Barracks that young man died.

"And at Passage they have his body laid".

A hundred years ago, the area was struggling, against the odds, to develop dairy farming. That it succeeded was due in large measure to the role played by Gaultier Co-op. It continues to play a very important role in the life and times of the area as a very well regarded branch of the £70 million Trading Division of Waterford Foods p.l.c.

CHAIRMAN'S FOREWORD

I have the good fortune and the great honour to be elected chairman of the Gaultier Advisory Committee in this centennial year. In filling that role I could ask for no greater inspiration than the records of the first chairman of Gaultier Co-op and the immediate past chairman of this Committee.

Captain Coghlan, 100 years ago, led the Co-op through its struggle to draw first breath. That was never going to be easy. It was a time when the concept of farmers co-operating with each other in business was unknown territory. In addition there was strong opposition.

Today we shouldn't forget how great was the struggle and how important was the outcome, I have no hesitation whatsoever in giving total credit to the men of 1894.

In very different times we had local leadership from Tom Walsh and we had the satisfaction of knowing that he, on our behalf, was giving excellent national leadership to Waterford Co-op. We are proud of his part in bringing Waterford to the point where it was ready for full international status.

Looking at the years between Capt. Coghlan and Mr. Walsh, I'm sure there are many people who thought that the story of Gaultier would end in 1964, when the merger of the county Waterford co-ops took effect. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

Gaultier has maintained its relevance to the farmers of this area. Its challenge is to supply us with the fundamental inputs of farming at high quality levels and under very competitive trading conditions. I believe that challenge is being very well met and it is my intention to ensure that continues to be met in the future.

This record of the history of Gaultier has been the product of hard work and diligent research by a number of people, but notably Walter Parkinson and John Murray. It will serve as our record of the past and our link with the future, I compliment all concerned and I have great pleasure, as the 1994 Chairman, in adding these introductory words.

James Richardson.

SALUTE TO WISDOM AND COURAGE

- By -

STEPHEN O'CONNOR, Managing Director,

Waterford Foods plc.

Gaultier Co-op has reached its 100th Anniversary in very good shape and is still playing a valuable role in the welfare of its community.

This small co-operative society was born of adversity in the dying, difficult last years of the last century. It immediately demonstrated in East Waterford what Horace Plunkett, founder of the co-operative movement, was preaching and promoting throughout rural Ireland.

Plunkett's message was that farmers who committed themselves to working together through a co-op had taken a major step towards better farming and better living.

The farmers of Gaultier showed wisdom and courage in taking that message fully to heart. They showed no hesitation in launching their business in 1894.

From then till now those farmers experienced all the ups and downs of the decades of survival, misery, hope and progress.

In the early sixties, it became evident that new degrees of scale and efficiency were essential for real progress - and even basic security - in the dairy industry. A proposition for merger was put to the farmers of county Waterford and it is to the credit of Gaultier that its farmers were unanimous in their positive response.

They took a calculated risk that their vote was spelling out the end for an organisation that had served their interests loyally and well for seventy years.

But merger into Waterford Co-op and its subsequent relationship with Waterford Foods did not diminish the stature of the Gaultier enterprise.

It has provided an essential Advisory Committee for the larger body and has played more than its fair part in supplying superb leadership. One of the first chairmen of Waterford Co-op was James Power a decent, solid citizen who kept a steady hand on the helm of a rapidly changing, progressive organisation. He was succeeded some years later by 'Tom Walsh who served a longer term and was in his time a role model for the entire country in the crucial matter of co-op leadership.

To-day, Gaultier is a successful trading enterprise within the Waterford Foods Group. It is a showcase for the Group's products and still a meeting place for farmers and the representatives of their organisation.

If anything, its role in servicing this progressive East Waterford community has steadily improved with all those passing years.

Stephen O'Connor

JOHN MURRAY

AREA MANAGER 1964-1993

Celebrating a century of co-operation, trading and service, as Gaultier Co-operative Society now does, is surely a great achievement.

The original founders in 1894 displayed immense foresight and vision to form this Society against intense opposition at that time. Today we can draw inspiration and leadership from all those former shareholders who fashioned such a vibrant Co-operative Society in the Barony of Gaultier.

My initial involvement with Gaultier Co-op goes back to the mid-sixties, a historical time in the annals of the Co-operative movement.

The Gaultier shareholders in 1964 along with all other farmer / shareholders in Co. Waterford came together and formed Waterford Co-operative Society Ltd, an amalgam of five Co-operative Societies. This was the very first amalgamation to take place in Ireland, outlining as it does now, the great courage and faith the Shareholders had for the future of the Dairying Industry in the country. Little did they realise that by 1994 this Co-op would have grown to what Waterford Foods plc is today.

Having spent thirty years involved with Gaultier Co-op, I was fortunate to witness and partake in this great change in Agriculture and the Co-op industry generally. Farming systems have changed rapidly in the Gaultier area over this period. More emphasis has been placed on efficient production and quality products. The "Grundy Can" was replaced by the Bulk Tank, the 500 gallon cow by her sister cow 1000 gallons plus.

Gaultier Co-op certainly played its part in this great change. It responded to the demands of farmers in the area for more and better services. The dairy buildings were demolished and replaced with modern retail stores, self-service shop, setting up the Trading Branch as it is today. A complete range of farming requirements are stocked. Grain intake became an important part of the business - drying and storage facilities updated. The day to day running of the branch was fully computerised.

The monthly Advisory Committee meeting reviews the services and needs of the area and appropriately encourages new development.

I wish to thank the Committee, Management and Staff for their support down through the years. Researching for this book, "Gaultier Co-op, Working Together For 100 Years” was a very interesting experience for me. It is fitting that such progress and history is recorded in book form.

Finally I congratulate Gaultier Co-op on completing a hundred years of progress and service to its shareholders, farmers and many customers. No doubt, as part of Waterford Foods plc, the next one hundred years will be even more successful.

John Murray

WALTER PARKINSON

MANAGER 1989 

When the idea of celebrating Gaultier's Centenary was first mooted, it immediately occurred to me that the events of the past 100 years must be recorded for posterity. With great help and assistance from the Advisory Committee, John Murray and others the result is this publication. It has given me great insight into the development of the co-op movement generally, and in particular its development locally.

In 1894 the foundation stone for Gaultier Co-op was laid when a dedicated band of farmers saw that, by co-operation, an industry could be built that would benefit all. By setting up a dairy for the manufacture of butter, local farmers were given an outlet for their produce, thus enabling them to expand their cow-herd and improve their standard of living. The new Co-op also gave farmers access to improved methods of farming and provided services which would otherwise be unavailable to many of them. Employment was provided for local men and women and this has helped families remain in the community. It has also given many farmers exposure to the running of a business through their membership of the Committee.

The Co-operative movement gave farmers independence and freed from them from being prisoners of the merchants operating at the time. It gave them confidence to tackle problems and gave them the means to determine their own future. The community was strengthened by its presence and it was an important social outlet which allowed for exchange of ideas between farmers, and so acted as an educational forum. This is true of Gaultier Co-op to this very day.

Through the years the commitment given by the staff to their work is an example to all. There is a pride taken in doing the job well and a helpfulness not found in many other walks of life. This is in part due to the fact that the employees are drawn from the rural community and therefore have a better understanding of what is required.

As we approach the next millennium and head into our second hundred years, I am confident that Gaultier will continue to serve the area well. While change is inevitable, I believe that Gaultier Co-op, as part of Waterford Foods, will have a bright and prosperous future with the continued support of the farmers, management and staff and that the vision for Gaultier held by Capt. Coghlan and his followers will be kept alive long into the next Century.

Walter Parkinson

GAULTIER CO-OP

Ireland's Land Wars had drawn to a close. The bold tenant farmer had become a landowner and a man of decision making independence. But does poverty ever allow real independence of decision or action?

The small dairy farmers of the Barony of Gaultier could sell milk or butter in 1894. They could sell milk for 3d per gallon and butter for 11d per pound. So at 2.5 gallons to the pound, there was apparent good economics in home churning. But there was a very limited market for this end product and the Danes were racing away with it. They were even dominating the Dublin butter market because their product was excellent and their marketing was organised.

There lay the sharp nettle which farmers grasped at a meeting in Killea, overlooking the fishing village of Dunmore East, on November 11, 1894.

The meeting was addressed by R.A. Anderson, first employee of the brand new Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, who would explain the principles of Co-Operation and the practical elements of setting up a dairy society to purchase mIlk, make butter and provide varied services to its members.

Would Mr. Anderson have an easy ride in Gaultier? He had recently been booted out of another town where cows and calves were equally fundamental. The solicitor had put it in black and white for him when he said "your programme would not suit Rathkeale. Rathkeale is a nationalist town - nationalist to the backbone - and every pound of butter made here must be made on nationalist principles. Or it shan't be made at all." The solicitor's stance was loudly applauded and any further meetings were cancelled.

In East Waterford, the campaign to adopt a co-operative approach by farmers also came under full and public assault. A prominent merchant was given substantial space in the local paper to tell farmers how well off they were as suppliers to the established system.

He pointed out the damning "facts" that farmhouse butter was of higher quality and that skim milk from public creameries was "most injurious to the rearing of calves"

We publish this statement in full under the heading "A word of warning to the Gaultier Farmers" (pages 17/18), because it conveys not only the patronising attitude of the time but also because it bench marks a few very real facts of the struggle to make a living.

For example, we are introduced to a Mr. Holohan of Knocktopher, whose 16 cows were doing 100 gallons a week. From this he made 56 lbs of butter, which was an excellent yield and which he sold for £2 - 16s.

The assembly at Killea heard the gospel according to Sir Horace Plunkett of better farming, better business, better living, through working together in a dairy society.

They were resolute people who were prepared to put their money on the table and 275 shares were subscribed for.

A month later registry of Gaultier Co-operative Dairy Society Ltd. was accepted and the members could proceed to elect their committee and do their business. The first committee is recorded as follows :

President : Captain W. Coghlan

Committee : Martin O'Brien, Brownstown; John Fitzgerald, Rathmoylan; John McCarthy, Credan; Edmond Phelan, Ballyglan;
Patrick Murphy, Leperstown; F.G. Kent, Island View; Henry Morris, Belle Lake; James Phelan, Dunmore.

Auditor: T. Scott, Hillfield, Cork

Bankers: Munster and Leinster

The first major consideration was location and they were fortunate to find an excellent site at Ballinamintra, provided by the Hon. D. Fortescue of Carballymore House. Putting down an early marker that they were in business for the long haul, the committee took on a 99 year lease.

All of this took time as the founding fathers of Gaultier laid their foundations carefully.

In April 1895 they placed a building contract with the Tralee firm Hickson and Peet. The dairy buildings would cost £458.10-9 and an additional sum of £8 for slating.

As the creamery took shape in Gaultier, the co-operative movement was rolling forward across the country. Small co-ops were launched by the hundreds as Plunkett pointed out that the Americans were better farmers and the Danes were better businessmen than we were. Between them they could squeeze us out of our traditional markets.

Irish farmers saw what one form of co-op could do for the dairy industry. They were equally impressed by what the Jesuit co-operator Fr. Tom Finlay was doing in another important area. He had studied the Raiffaisen co-operative banking system on the continent and he introduced it here as the answer to the crippling credit arrangements which plagued our farmers. His co-operative banks are largely gone now but they were hugely successful for their time. They broke the stranglehold of the gombeenman and they also sowed roots for our later credit union system.

In Gaultier, the first manager, William Cusack was appointed at a salary of £76 per annum in August 1895. Was he underpaid? Overpaid? Well, two short years later the committee was complaining, gravely, that salaries at a total of £4 a week were way too high.

They had also taken the draconian step of warning staff that anyone seeking a raise must resign first. It would appear that they would then seek a less costly replacement and, if such were not forthcoming, the raise could be considered justified. No comment is adequate reaction at 100 years remove.

In September 1895, a grist mill was erected, a well was sunk and a wire fence closed the site. The "trading division" had begun to find its feet and in the following year purchased and sold 57 tonnes of fertiliser and an unspecified amount coal.

Now let's not hide the truth about the first attempt to introduce penalties. There were farmers then who felt that a little extra water never did milk any harm. There are farmers today who might adopt the same guileless attitude - were it not for serious discouragement.

In June 1896, adulteration was penalised to the extent of 10 per cent of the month's milk value. Subsequent fines in the same month were applied at 25 per cent. There you have evidence of the committee and management showing real teeth in the face of a problem that could be very damaging to the total business.

Sadly, one of the first to fall was a member of the committee and his fellow members did exactly what many well-meaning committee-men would consider their duty to their neighbour. They attacked their own clean-up plan at the next monthly meeting and rescinded the penalty clause.

Fortunately, in terms of sparing the blushes of posterity, we do not know who the offender was. If we did would we tell? Remember the delicate line between humane treatment and good judgement.

Back to business. The first A.G.M. in 1897 reported a turnover for the preceding year of £4,596 (see balance sheet pages 14-16) and attracted the interest of the Revenue Commissioners.

A decision was made to bring in an expert to lecture on poultry keeping and the Co-op diversified into trading in eggs.

Another year went by and two boars were purchased for the use of members at a rate of one shilling per sow serviced. For non-shareholders, the rate was a more formidable two shillings but clearly these were boars in a class apart.

They were placed on the farms of John Hearne, Leperstown, and Patrick Power, Orchardstown, two good pig men who would mind them well. The deal was that the foster farms would get to keep the boars after two years.

As the last years of that eventful decade and century drew to a close, Gaultier purchased a horse and cart to deliver its growing volume of trade and a horse sprayer to achieve a major advance in crop protection.

It also faced a new challenge in the form of credit control. Farmers were well used to getting substantial credit at hideous terms in the era of the gombeenman, that was now being progressively outmoded. They were facilitated in borrowing, they were encouraged to extend their borrowings and then they were crucified by credit terms that they couldn't meet.

Many a decent small farm, and some not so small, changed hands in settlement of unpayable debts while the defeated farmer was left with his fare to try again in a more hospitable land.

It was in such conditions that the fledgling co-operative movement, with Gaultier as a classic case, was to grow and flourish. Farmers recognised that there were private merchants who treated them fairly and well and traded on terms of mutual gain. They continued to do business with such companies as they do to this day. But for thousands, the co-ops were a godsend and they mushroomed across the face of Ireland.

A WORD OF WARNING TO THE

GAULTIER FARMERS

We understand Mr. Anderson, the paid organiser of the co-operative dairy system, has been canvassing you of late, at the request of Capt. Coghlan, to erect a co-operative dairy in your district. You, no doubt, have been promised great things if you plank down your £1 per cow to establish this dairy, which means if you put your money in the pool you cannot withdraw from it. If you pause and consider the working of the co-operative system of dairying before committing yourself to any binding scheme, you will find Mr. Anderson and Capt. Coghlan are not the philanthropists they appear at first. We can prove without fear of contradiction that the system of dairying, as put forward by these gentlemen, is not the most money-making for the farmers of this country to adopt. As far as our somewhat extensive knowledge teaches us, the public creamery system is a complete failure, when compared with the advantages derived from the use of the hand-separator, or, in other words, the private dairy of the individual; for in the first place he can retain the produce of his own dairy, and make a higher class butter than that made at the public creamery, where the milk is a mixture of high, medium and low class, where an average price must be accepted, and that, only after a lapse of time.

Secondly, it is a well-known fact that the skim milk taken from public creameries is most injurious for the rearing of calves; this we have on good authority, as the saccharine qualities in skim milk gets decomposed very quickly; therefore it must be injurious for feeding purposes; whereas the skim milk of the home dairy is perfectly sweet and fresh. Some of the best calves in the country have been reared on the skim milk of the home separators. For argument sake we will cite a case which covers the whole ground. It is no uncommon fact that a farmer is obliged to travel two, three or even five miles to a creamery. Take the average of two miles and let the milking season run nine months, six months of which, during the hot weather, the milk must be carted twice daily, and once daily for three months; this will give an average of 1,800 miles to be travelled for the whole season. This is a very important and expensive factor that we fear most of our farmers overlook. The Alexandra hand separators are most extensively used throughout the Colonies, which accounts for the great success in having butter of a uniform quality, and brings a much higher price in the London market, although from prairie land and therefore much inferior to our Irish soil. £100,000 worth of them were sent out for the past two seasons, purchased by the Government, and given on the hire system to the farmers, with still large orders for them. The Alexandra hand-separators are also extensively used in the Co. Waterford and Kilkenny area, and the result in every case is far greater than the expectations of any of the parties using them. If we say £5 per cow for the season can be made by the use of the separator over any other system of dairying, we only give this statement as it has been made to us. For your district, we refer you to Mr. John Power, Barrettstown, and Mr. John Meade, Ballamaclode.

We will put another case before you, that of Mr. Holohan, Knocktopher, a most respectable farmer; who made the following statement in our office on Monday last, that he had come to the fair that day to buy calves, which he would not be in a position to do only for the use of the hand-separator which he purchased on the 9th October last, the result of which was that he got more money for the butter from that date than he got for his milk for the whole season by going to the creamery. From the figures he kept, he states that he lost £50 by not having the separator the entire season. His 16 cows are giving him at present 100 gallons of milk weekly, from which he makes 56 Ibs. at 1s. per lb., making £2 16s., which is considerably more than his neighbour got for two firkins made on the old system. We hope it not necessary to go further to convince the Gaultier farmers what they should do; but if it is so, we are quite ready to enter the lists and back up the above statement against all comers. 

R. Mahony & Co. 

1894

1900 - 1910

The early years of the 'Twentieth century are described in the annals of the Co-operative movement, and most notably in the excellent ICOS centenary book, Fruits of a Century", as the era of Planting the Seed.

Sir Horace Plunket applied intense pressure to the Establishment to do something significant about the crying need for technical assistance for farmers. The Americans had both scale and advanced technology. The Danes were great co-operators and great educationalists. Plunkett never let us forget the competition.

As the third son of influential Lord Dunsany, Sir Horace was part of the Establishment and if anyone could get results, he could.

His reward for pressure was the introduction of DATI, the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction with Sir Horace as its first head of operations.

In Gaultier there seemed to be a lapse of enthusiasm for meetings in the new century. Several committee meetings were cancelled for lack of a quorum. Today we blame television. What was going on in the world at that time to cause distraction?

Well, Queen Victoria died, the Boer War ended, San Francisco was devastated by the Earthquake, Jack Johnson became heavyweight champion of the world and the price of milk in Gaultier rose to 4d per gallon.

The Co-op sought estimates for a water turbine to drive machinery and built a stable for £42.

Patrick Ahern was appointed manager in 1902 and served for four decades. His son John still farms in the area and his grandson Brendan is on the Waterford Foods staff in Co. Wexford.

Through this decade, Capt. Coghlan remained very involved in the development of the co-op movement throughout the country, working closely with K.A. Anderson, the IAOS organiser. At the IAOS conference of 1904 he raised an idea before its time of selling all livestock by weight.

Capt. Coghlan's motion was "That we are of the opinion that no system of sale of livestock can be a fair one to the producer which is not conducted on a live weight basis."

Was he flagging the fact that one of the earliest, if not the very first, co-operative livestock marts in the country would be built at Dungarvan, in the face of fierce opposition, a half-century later.

A manager's house was built at Gaultier for £198 in 1907 and early steps were taken to lift milk quality. The drive to raise general standards was based on leaflets issued by the new Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, with Plunkett's beneficial influence still asserting itself.

Maybe the meetings were not a primary attraction but general progress was not lacking. Milk collection was discussed, as was branding and grading of butter and the trading sector was boosted by involvement in sales of bacon.

Also worth noting is the fact that the Co-op was visited in 1902 by a Group of people from Staffordshire County Council who were highly impressed with the business of the Society.

During this time interest of 6% was charged on overdue accounts. In 1909, John McCormack had won his first medal at a music festival and the cultural destiny of Ireland was being shaped by James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge and George Bernard Shaw.

And the price of milk in Gaultier went up, as the decade closed, to 5d per gallon.

1910 - 1920

Keep watching the price of milk. In 1912 it slipped back to 4d per gallon. But by the end of this decade it had hit the magic shilling.

Perhaps the farmers of Gaultier were gearing up for the best of both worlds when they formed a Cow Testing Association in 1915. We don't know what yields were like, apart from the man from Knocktopher who had 16 cows doing 100 gallons a week. We also know that 60 years later the manager of Lough Egish Co-op. Brian Daly, was still letting off steam on the subject of low yields. He defined the 500 gallon cow as a 700 gallon cow that doesn't get enough to eat. He brought in 700 gallon cows from Northern Ireland and fostered them onto Monaghan farms to demonstrate what was readily achievable.

That was in 1975. So clearly Gaultier's forward thinking people had virgin soil to till in 1915.

Gaultier Co-op became a shareholder in IAWS, purchased a winnowing machine and elected Fr Casey, P.P., as Chairman to succeed Captain Coghlan.

This was the decade of the Bolshevik Revolution, of the Easter Rising of 1916, of Nobel Prizes for Yeats and Shaw and of course of the Great War to end all wars. Do we generally remember Sarajevo's other period of notoriety? It was the city in which the spark was struck, by assassination, to ignite Europe for four dreadful years.

If there can be good in such a conflagration, it can be said that Irish agricultural exports boomed and Wexford farmers, in an early search for alternative enterprises, had a determined but short-lived shot at tobacco production.

Gaultier responded to an appeal from the Irish Creamery Managers Association by contributing a 28 lb box of butter for use of the war wounded in hospital.

Related to a very different appeal, they agreed to help defray expenses of Cavan Central Co-op Creamery in their appeal against taxation of excess profits.

Strangely, there was talk of the Co-op setting up a forge, which came to nothing. How did they manage without one in the era of original horse power?

In another strange twist of fate, that debate on the forge for Gaultier, in 1914, was quickly followed by the world's first experience of mechanised warfare. There could never again be a heroic, albeit totally stupid Charge of the Light Brigade. There would never again be a major farm enterprise related to production of horses for warring cavalry. This has been replaced by infinitely more civilised breeding of good show jumpers for the more decorative side of army life.

In Gaultier, as this decade drew to a close, all was not sweetness and light. There was bitter resentment of price fixing under the Butter Grading and Distribution Scheme. Gaultier Co-op passed a resolution in April 1918 pointing out that the Scheme was ruinous for the dairy industry, that it could force farmers to sell their milking cows, that the price of butter must be raised considerably.

Lo and behold. In the peak month of June 1919, the price of milk reached a shilling.

1920 - 1930

Post-war slump brought about the Era of Stagnation in farming and it was at its ugliest in the early Twenties. Neighbouring co-ops at Glenmore, Mullinavat and Ida fell victim to the depredation of the Black and Tans. And a short time later local press reported sabotage at Kilmeaden Creamery.

This was related to the very nasty workers strike of 1923 and it put Gaultier on "red alert". It was a dreadful era of burnings, beatings and wholesale ill will and it ushered in the phenomenon of large-scale unemployment in Western Society. (To indicate the tension of the time we are reproducing part of the report published in the "Waterford Standard" of May 26, 1923. It doesn't present a pretty picture).

But life goes on. The Roaring Twenties gave us the flappers, the Charleston and the Black Bottom. Gaultier bought a manure distributor which was offered to members at 2 shillings per ton for spreading "shop manure" bought from the Co-op. Manure from other sources could be spread for 3 shillings. Also, a horse sprayer was purchased for £22 for use by shareholders, on condition that the chemicals used were purchased from the Society.

The price of milk was well clear of a shilling in 1921 but it was poised for a devastating plunge. In Gaultier it hit 9d in 1925 and 6d in 1926. It would not rise again to respectable levels until the Forties.

All branches of farming were hit by the Depression of the early Twenties and the turnover of IAWS fell from £1.1 million in 1921 to £0.69 million in 1923.

Also you didn't dance many Charlestons if you bought store cattle for £90 a head, finished them on excellent grass and sold them on, 2 cwt. heavier, for £30 a head,

In 1926, Gaultier carried out improvements to the dairy, the platform and the boiler house and a new testing room was added. But that didn't stop turnover from falling discouragingly.

In that same year, the famous Dr. Henry Kennedy joined IAOS and his first major demand was for rationalisation of the creameries, both co-operative and private. His hand would have been seen in the Dairies Act of 1927 which set out to ease wasteful competition and restore the industry to native ownership. The Dairy Disposals Company was set up to acquire creameries from the foreign companies which proliferated at that stage.

It functioned with varying success until the DDCO itself was disposed of by the emergence of Kerry Co-op and other moves in the early Seventies.

The decade will never be noted for its contribution to progressive development in farming thought or actions. However, amid strikes, depression and Civil War we can put one encouraging spark on record. When the Black and Tans were at their devilish worst, the British Co-operative Union played a major and effective role in drawing public attention to their deeds and fighting the case of fellow co-operators in Ireland. So there's good in the worst of times.

Reprinted from "Waterford Standard," May 26th, 1923.

Sabotage at Creamery.

On the night of Saturday last, or the morning of Sunday, the Kilmeaden Creamery was forcibly entered and vital parts of the engines taken away, but the Creamery is working away as usual. The Farmers Union have placed a guard of their own members on the Gaultier Creamery and military have arrived on the spot.

Labour T.D. and Military.

At Stradbally an extraordinary incident occurred. Mr. Nicholas Connors, a farmer, living at Park, purchased a quantity of flour and other feeding stuffs at Kilminion Creamery. The farmers arrived with their carts and loaded the stuffs. About 150 labourers arrived armed with sticks, and the carts were held up. The picket was in charge of Mr. Nicholas Phelan, T.D., and it is alleged that one of the picket sent for the military, who were under the impression that the creamery had been entered by the farmers and the stuffs taken away.

There were 45 farmers with carts ready to take the stuff away, but the labour picket refused to allow them. The carts had to be left at the side of the road for the night and it was protected by the military. The military guarded the stuff all night. The matter was reported to the authorities, who arrived to ascertain the ownership of the goods. After taking statements from Mr. Phelan on behalf of the labourers and Mr. Connors on behalf of the farmers, the authorities found that the goods had been purchased and paid for by the farmers, and the labour pickets were then ordered to withdraw. The labourers quickly complied, and the farmers proceeded with their work.

Shipping Trouble.

On Wednesday the Gaultier Creamery tendered 14½ cwt. of butter at the Great Western Railway Offices for shipment. The butter was brought to the steamer by two brothers named Galgy, who are carriers for the creamery, Mr. Thomas Dunne, Secretary of the I.T. and G. W.U. was in charge of the picket, and he asked the members of the N.U.R. who were attacked in scathing terms by Mr. "Jim" Larkin at the public meeting in Waterford for belonging to an English Union, if they would handle such goods. The men belonging to the N.U.R. said they would not handle the butter. Mr. Courtenay of the Gaultier Creamery, asked Mr. Dunne if he was going to allow the butter to be shipped, and Mr. Dunne said "We are going to stop butter going out of the port. We are going to prevent the butter being shipped." Mr. Courtenay then asked Mr. Dunne if he was doing this as an official of the Transport Workers' Union, and he replied "Yes," and that he had asked the members of the National Union of Railwaymen not to handle the butter and "...they agreed like men."

When the general cargo had been loaded the men were called into the Great Western Railway Office, and they were asked by the manager if they would load the butter, and the men refused. The two Galgy brothers who are members of the Farmers' Union, then commenced to load the butter themselves on the ship. Mr. Dunne and the members of the strike picket then got on the gangway in order to obstruct the loading of the butter. There were about half-a-dozen members of the Civic Guard present and four national soldiers. The picket on the gangway was asked by the Civic Guard to move on, but refused, and the Civic Guard tried to move them by force. Eventually matters came to a head, and the aid of the military was requisitioned. The national soldiers fixed bayonets on their rifles and the work of clearing the gangway then proceeded with marked celerity.

One of the strikers got into an altercation with a soldier and anything might have happened for a few seconds, but happily, extreme measures had not to be resorted to. When the butter was put on board, the seamen and firemen then struck work, and the ship was unable to sail. There were a large number of passengers on board, and a considerable quantity of livestock, and the Agent of the Company asked the representatives of the creamery if they would take the butter off again and let the ship sail in order not to disappoint the passengers or to cause no inconvenience, the butter was unloaded and the boat sailed. Cheers were raised by the strikers. We understand, however, that the creamery only acceded to the request to unload the butter in order to cause any inconvenience, but the matter will be forced to an issue later. A public carrying company is bound to accept the goods, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that if the members of the N.U.R. and the Seamen and Firemen persist in their present attitude there will be a cessation of shipping at the Port. The matter has been reported to the ministry of Agriculture. Mr. Courtenay pointed out to Mr. Dunne that there was no strike at the Gaultier Creamery, and he replied that that did not matter, as it was the milk of the members of the Farmers' Union that made the butter.

1930 - 1940

The Irish co-operative movement entered the 1930's with the deep disappointment that it had failed to establish a national marketing organisation. Irish Associated Creameries Lid., built on high hopes of concerted effort on overseas markets was liquidated in 1930 without getting one foot off the ground. This was to be a long, tough decade for farmers.

The Gaultier Cow Testing Association continued to encourage higher production, with prizes of £3 and £2 for the best cows. The Committee considered buying an oats de-hulling machine but did not proceed because of the cost and, wisely, because adequate facilities were available at Halls in Waterford. Would the shareholders have approved of that decision? Would they have questioned it? Criticised it? No, indeed, they would have passed no comment because no shareholder showed up for the A.G.M.'s of 1933 and 1934.

Generally, small attendance at the A.G.M. can be construed as contentment with the current work of committee and management. But no attendance at all? Again, we have to ask what was distracting the farmers. What was going on out there?

Fascism had taken root in Europe and was spreading like wildfire.

It was a great technological decade too. The Derby was televised for the first time in 1936 and air travel had advanced sufficiently to justify founding our national airline around the same time. And who was the greatest steeple-chaser of all time? In 1935, Golden Miller won both the Gold Cup and the Grand National. Was Arkle in the same class?

In farming, sugar beet factories were being developed and there were guaranteed wheat prices to encourage home production. To meet the same objective, millers and merchants were obliged by law to mix home and imported cereals for sale to farmers. Gaultier offended. It sold a small quantity of imported maize with no blend, was investigated by Inspector Michael Kirby of Cork and was charged with what, at the time, was considered to be a criminal offence. The unfortunate outcome was that Gaultier lost its grinding licence.

However, it was still doing substantial business and made an investment of £1,000 in the Free State National Loan in 1938. Was that before or after the day, also in 1938, that the price of milk fell to 3d per gallon?

It was disastrous for dairy farmers, despite a Government grant of two shillings per cwt. on butter manufactured from May to November. But it was equally tragic for cattlemen. We are told of one good farmer who cleared out 50 two year old whiteheads at a fair for £5 each. He sat on the ditch on the way home and cried like a baby.

That was the decade of our Economic War, sparked when De Valera refused to pay land annuities to absentee landlords. It ended when economic considerations were overshadowed by the greater war which commenced in September, 1939.

It leave that decade, without too many regrets, on the mildly bright note Gaultier Co-op had sufficient reserves to match the Government rescue effort when the price of butter was at its worst. Again there was proof that farmers could benefit, even in the worst of times, from working together towards a common goal.

1940 - 1950

The Forties began with their feet still sucked into the mud of depression but progessed to a bright era of Regeneration for both farming and its attendant co-operative movement.

A.T. Hannon was appointed manager of Gaultier in 1940 on a salary of £200 per annum. Employees at the Co-op got a bonus of £12 ahead as a reward for good work and an indication of improving times. And the War was far away in Europe. Or was it?

On August 26, 1940, a myopic German bomber mistook Shelburne Co-op, just across a much narrower strip of water, for an English industrial target. His error cost three innocent lives and did extensive damage to a harmless rural Co-op.

In 1941 the price of milk for Gaultier suppliers was 5½ d per gallon, the Co-op bought its first lorry and its grinding licence was partially restored. There were dreadful problems related to scarcity of fuel, feed, fertiliser and packaging material.

But food exports were beginning to flow outwards, money was seeping in to a cash-starved economy and Gaultier farmers were preparing themselves to pay off bank loans that had bung around their necks for years.

In 1942 there was a muted boost for milk suppliers when the price rose to 7d per gallon, but that was still not a good enough incentive to get into milk with confidence and go for real scale.

But there was plenty confidence among Waterford hurlers in that decade winning the All-Ireland in 1948. Three well known farmers of today Michael Hayes, Mick Hickey and John Cusack played an invaluable part in that victory.

A decade later, in 1959 local farmer Tom Cheasty achieved similar All-Ireland success.

The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and they won battle after battle until it seemed they had the world at their feet. Was it Gen. Patten who pulled back from Batan, in the Pacific, with the woeful comment "I shall return". Well he did, perhaps with no greater surprise to anyone than himself. And you know the story from there to Hiroshima. Maybe you don't know that one of the bravest and best American battalions in the European theatre of war was comprised entirely of American born Japanese. It's a very mixed up old world.

Bernard Mulhern became manager of Gaultier in 1942 at £208 per annum, but before he did there was talk of amalgamation with Kilmeaden to cut costs. Surprise? The idea was rejected.

Farmers were dropping out of milk and showing increasing interest in grain. Gaultier responded with the new grain shed.

Milk went up to 9d in 1943 and supplies rose again. At the same time, the idea of co-op pig production was brought to Waterford. Ireland's most famous pig producer was Sandy McGuckian from Co. Antrim who was then deeply involved in ICOS. He carried his ideas right down to Ballymacarbery, on the other side of the county and got a positive response to the idea of farmers producing potatoes and bonhams and the Co-op doing the finishing. The idea worked and spread. Gaultier was to follow with its own unit as the decade progressed.

By the way, Sandy McGuckians sons included Alistair and Paddy whose Masstock houses and desert farming techniques have had worldwide impact.

In 1945, Gaultier built the shop and staff were paid three shilling bonus for working Sundays. This was the time of rejuvenation. Not the three shillings but the lift to 11d for milk and the general buzz of activity in an industry that had survived a long period of stagnation.

Gaultier supported strong views in Co. Cork to establish cattle breeding stations and bring A.I. to the common cow. It financed its contribution by means of a levy which may have been the first ever levy on milk gallonage.

Milk moved up another ha'penny and Gaultier purchased 60 acres at Ballymabin for £1,800. Workers in general straightened up their backs just a little as the 18 hour week was introduced and Gaultier paid a 5 per cent bonus on shares.

It was against this scenario that Macra na Feinme was founded and the Farmers journal made its first tentative appearance.

The sovereign states of India, Pakistan and Israel were printed on the map and the transistor was invented in the later days of the 1940's.

Rural electrification, the light, was rippling out to even remote areas. As it arrived it dispelled the worst degrees of drudgery, from hard pumping water to hand pulping turnips. It also eradicated the ghosts as surely as St Patrick did the snakes. How could flickering shadows and rustling noises survive a light that flooded a room, a yard or a cowshed at one flick of a switch.

What mattered most for agricultural Ireland, however, was the fact that we had launched this new organisation of young people who were to endow us with new thinking, new leadership and new hope. Macra na Feirme was on its way to providing its first generation of dedicated, well informed leadership for the co-operative movement and the other significant farm bodies that would soon follow.

1950 - 1960

It was a decade of remarkable human and technological endeavour. Hilary and Tensing climbed Mount Everest and Dr. Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile barrier. In the Fifties he won world renown. Would he beat Sonia O'Sullivan in the Nineties?

Russia put its first Sputnik into space and Gaultier was flying too. At the beginning of the decade it began a scheme of loans to shareholders. This was largely to encourage post-war mechanisation and it contributed in its own small way to the rash of marvellous little grey Fergusons that broke out in the area. Another blow was struck for alleviating the hardship from farming and it was further emphasised when the combine harvester made its first appearance. If mechanised warfare had ousted the half-bred sport horse, then the combine would do the same for the Irish draft as the Fifties progressed.

There was informal discussion in November 1953 about a joint plan for grain storage by Gaultier, Castlelyons, Dungarvan, Kilmeaden and Knockmeal. There was also a concurrent development which showed the best possible reason why these co-ops should be talking to each other in serious terms.

Snowcream Dairies was founded in 1952 to attack the unexploited Waterford City market. It was successful enough to move on to New Ross, Enniscorthy and Wexford in rapid succession. Gaultier lost half its milk supply to the Snowcream canvassers and Kilmeaden also suffered significantly. It shows a real lack of initiative by the local Co-ops at that time in not being involved in the liquid trade to Waterford City.

And here's where the "solidarity" of the co-ops manifested itself. Part of the traction of Snowcream was that it bought each supplier's total supply, winter and summer, and undertook to sell on the surplus for manufacturing. For whatever reason it didn't sell to Gaultier, which had excess equipment and excess general capacity. But it sold readily to Kilmeaden, Dungarvan, and Miloko.

There was more trouble to come in the form of a formidable German lady, Frau Holfelmeyer who came here to manufacture exotic cheeses near Wexford town. She too, would need a milk supply at a time when Minister James Dillon was saying "The Irish dairy industry can never be profitable when it is based on a 300 gallon cow. Let us have 400 to 800 gallon cows and the efficiency of the creameries will Increase by 50 per cent."

Sadly Frau Hoffelmeyer was defeated by the special quality requirements for exotic cheeses. She departed and sold an excellent plant to Unigate, which developed and prospered where she had failed.

It was widely held that Wexford would not produce sufficient milk to meet the needs of its new plant and there would be a further drain on Waterford's raw materials - with Gaultier right in the firing line. There was even a cross-directorship and cross-shareholding between Wexford Creamery and the cheese plant at Kilmeaden to ensure access to supplies.

But we know now that Wexford blossomed as a milk production county and is currently a major supplier to Waterford Foods enterprises outside as well as inside its boundaries.

The reality of the time was that the co-ops had survived a stagnant period. They were into a regeneration phase but only just and private enterprise was quicker and more nimble on its feet. Of the Co. Waterford co-ops, and Snowcream in particular, could it ever be more truly said "Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorac"

There were bright sides to the early Fifties. Gaultier put in the electricity at a cost of £800 and as the decade advanced Gordon Richards won his only Derby on Pinza and Lester Piggott won his first of many on Never Say Die. It is truly remarkable that the man can still take a heavy fall and nonchalantly sign himself out of hospital.

Marshal Aid was sent to Europe from the States and Ireland made good use of it to launch the Agricultural Institute and to initiate massive land reclamation programmes. The wheel spins and we are now being paid to let that land go back to the bosom of Mother Nature.

Macra na Feirme was in full bloom and the NFA emerged as its lusty off-spring. ICMSA was launched in Limerick and had significant impact. James Power, Knockhouse was the founding member of Gaultier ICMSA branch and later became Chairman of Waterford Co-op.

Another feature of the mid-decade for East Waterford was the arrival of a Winter Farm School at Gaultier. It is hard to imagine today the significance of that event for elderly farmers who had not seen the inside of a class room since they were 13. But they turned up. They strove to absorb highly technical lectures on soil fertility and animal husbandry.

They probably failed entirely in the first objective. These were not your average student and the lecturers had no training for the job in hand. But they got across one very clear message - that agriculture would progress on foot of a free and constant flow of information, aided by a liberal measure of inspiration. Both of these aids were moving about liberally in the Fifties.

Hard news. In April 1956, the first auction was held by Co-op Livestock Mart (Waterford) Ltd., thereby giving a lead for the entire country.

What happened to the joint grain storage plan? Evidently its time had not yet come as we hear no more about it. The time had come for a Northern Ireland team to capture Sam Maguire. The honour went to Co. Down and of late the Northern counties have tried hard to make it a permanent arrangement with Down succeeding once again in 1994.

Some Photos From The 1950s

Click on photos to enlarge.

1960 - 1970

For Gaultier Co-op the 1960's must be dominated by one bold, revolutionary decision and development.

Ireland had applied for EC membership in 1961 and this created a national upheaval of preparation. Bord Bainne was founded to tackle international marketing of dairy products. Gaultier built a grain store and installed a drier. It was the decade of the assassination of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy and of the Israeli mop up of mighty Egypt in the Six Day War. David and Goliath had fought again in the Middle East and David had won again.

But of greatest importance for Gaultier was not even the emergence of Elvis and the Beatles. It was publication of the Report of the Dairy Produce Survey Team. It led to serious thought, on a national scale, about amalgamation of the small creameries.

ICOS was later to refer to the period from 1964 on as the era of "Reaping the Harvest". At that point there were 136 central creameries and their many branches handling 75 per cent of the intake of manufacturing milk. The remaining 25 per cent was handled by 17 centrals and their branches owned by the Dairy Disposals Co. The ICOS proposal was that all of these should be reduced to 19 centrals.

It was too radical for most of the country and it gave rise to controversy in some areas that threatened to relive the Civil War. Eventually, the whole idea was kicked overboard when, surprisingly, there was no place at the Common Market table for Britain, Ireland and Denmark. We'd like to think it was because General de Gaulle didn't like England and perhaps we should leave it at that.

However, the farmers of Waterford were well balanced and well led. They wouldn't wait for outside influences to decide their destiny. And, of course, they had seen the hazards of fragmentation in the Snowcream affair and other events of the Fifties.

A series of committee meetings were held throughout the county, involving six co-operatives. In Gaultier the verdict was unanimously in favour of one dairy co-op for the county.

On March 9th, a special general meeting was held to consider the idea of amalgamation of Gaultier with Kilmeaden, Millvale, Rathgormack and Dungarvan Co-op. The following is a list of Committee and shareholders who voted 24 to 1 in favour of amalgamation.

Committee: James Power, Knockhouse; Paddy Farrell, Ballinamintra; P. Cusack, Gurtahilla; R. Phelan, Orchardstown; R. Delahunty, Harristown; J. Butler, Liccawn; J.A. Coghlan, Dromina.

Shareholders: Mrs. Courtney, Kilmacleague; Milo Galgey, Killawlan; Jack Flynn, Leperstown;
P. Morrissey, Ballyglan; Mrs. Ward, Carbally; Paddy Walsh, Orchardstown; Thomas Power, Belle Lake; Ed. Power, Brownstown; P. Power, Ballinkina; J. Pierce, Keylogue; P. Pierce, Keylogue; J. Butler, Gregaridda; Mrs. Lodge, Ballymacaw; W. Bosanquett, Belle Lake; W. Nugent, Ballinkina.

On March 24th a meeting of 16 shareholders ratified the amalgamation decision 15-1. A third meeting in April confirmed the decision 11-1. W. Bosanquett dissented on every occasion.

This represented a momentous decision by Gaultier giving up its status as an independent co-operative society to further the interest of farmers generally – what great foresight these farmers had! The first Committee members elected to the Board of Waterford Co-op were James Power, Knockhouse, and Patrick Farrell, Ballinamintra. In fact James Power became Chairman of the new Co-op in 1966. The final commitment was made at a confirmatory meeting on April 10th, 1964.

For Gaultier the changes were not dramatic. Butter making ceased in 1966, after more than 70 years. Bernard Mulhern retired in '66 and was replaced by Peter Daly.

Rickard Deasy led the great farmers march to Dublin, protesting for the farmer's right to a better living from a vital industry. Many noted Gaultier farmers left the quays of Waterford and marched to Dublin to further the cause.

In 1969, Tom Walsh from Passage East was elected by the Gaultier Advisory committee to a seat on the board of Waterford Co-op. He became chairman at his first board meeting.

It just happened to be Gaultier's turn to fill the rotating chair. But the chair had finished rotating then and it was good fortune for Waterford that Tom stepped in at that point. He was to fill the challenging role with distinction until his retirement from the chair at the A.G.M. of 1987.

His term of office was to witness further exceptional progress within the county and beyond.

1970 - 1980

The spotlight has now shifted to a new centre stage and the story of Gaultier Co-op is necessarily shorter.

In 1973 we joined EC, farm incomes boomed and milk prices rose by 14p per gallon in one dramatic overnight surge. As a result the Gaultier price peaked at 55p for the decade.

There was a big swing to bulk tanks and the associated tankers took to the roads of Waterford.

Charlie Haughey called it "Boom and Bloom" and it looked like it might never end. Farmers were tempted into capital outlay that went far beyond the bounds of caution. Land prices were outrageous. Then the reckoning came. Interest rates soared to the edge of 20 per cent. Inflation was equally devastating. Do you remember Ireland at 17 and 18 per cent?

We had tasted the fruits of EC membership but we had learned that they were not limitless and we headed sadder and wiser towards the Eighties.

The Seventies had given us Nixon and Watergate and Maggie Thatcher and the beginning of Thatcherism.

They had also given us an outline shape for the Big Six creameries. It was clear that what Waterford did in the Sixties was correct. New legislation enabling decision to amalgamate by simple majority was introduced in 1971 and this paved the way.

Kerry Co-op took over from the Dairy Disposal Co., Avonmore, Mitchelstown, Ballyclough and Golden Vale all expanded and Waterford merged with co-ops in Cork, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow. The dairy industry had set headlines for the food industry in reaping its harvest of progressive development.

1980 - 1990

It was easy to paint a black picture for farming in the first half of the Eighties. Interest rates, inflation, over borrowing were the ingredients of disillusionment. Drift from the land accelerated.

It was also a very important time for a co-op to lend its strength to the individual and this was fully in evidence in Gaultier. Farmers needed help and encouragement related to new equipment for the dairy, parlour renovation, purchase of additional cows in preparation for a possible lid on production by means of a quota system. The co-op was able to arrange expert guidance, competitive loans and easy term payment.

Farmers didn't forget this when the surge came again in the second half of the decade. Gaultier was encouraged to demolish old buildings, install a new weighbridge and grain drier and lay the foundations for a trading business of genuine significance.

Milk quota was introduced in 1985 based on production in 1983. It was bad news and good news. Expansion was no longer an easy option for the farmer or his creamery but in its place there was a welcome measure of stability. The well-managed dairy farm, and there were many of them in the barony of Gaultier, was still an attractive proposition.

During this early part of the Eighties, Peter Daly died and was replaced as manager by Donal McGovern, with the present manager, Walter Parkinson taking over the reins in 1989.

Pollution became a major concern of EC, and farmers, as the main custodians of the environment, were required to be extra vigilant or pay a heavy penalty.

Waterford Co-op had set its sights for expansion from the turnover of £238 million in 1987 to approximately treble that figure for the mid-Nineties. A huge input of capital was required to achieve that goal and the Stock Exchange was seen as a logical source of part of that capital. The public limited company was launched in 1988 but farmers, through Waterford Co-op, still retain a 69 per cent stake in Waterford Foods plc.

1990 - 1994

On June 17, 1994, Gaultier Co-op celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Minister Brian O'Shea unveiled a plaque to mark a great occasion and a big assembly of shareholders, milk suppliers, customers and staff attended. W.L.R. FM (Waterford Local Radio) broadcast live a three hour programme from 12.00 noon - 3.00pm which carried interviews, competitions and news of the day's events. I'm sure the founders, if still alive, would marvel at the fact that the events at Gaultier that day could be heard live across an area from Wexford to Youghal.

Similarly ICOS, who are also celebrating their own centenary in 1994, brought their exhibition to Gaultier and their President Billy Nagle addressed the assembly. 1,000 people attended the day’s activities. Later, the day was brought to a lively conclusion with a barn dance and barbecue on the premises.

General organisation for the celebration of 100 years of working together was in the hands of Walter Parkinson, who became General Manager in 1989, and a committee that included John Murray, and Tom Walsh who recently retired from the Board of Waterford Foods, and the Advisory Committee at Gaultier under the Chairmanship of James Richardson.

Gaultier came into existence at the fledgling stage of the co-operative movement. It has witnessed the day when co-ops purchase and process almost 100 per cent of Irish milk supplies, purchase 70 per cent of grain, process 70 per cent of pig meat and 30 per cent of both beef and lamb. Through outlets such as Gaultier they sell to farmers the bulk of their cattle feed and their fertiliser requirements. The net turnover of all co-ops is £6 billion and Waterford ranks Number One among the dairy processors and distributors.

There is a clear benefit for the individual farmer in all of this. The single £1 share which he held in Waterford Co-op in 1988 has been multiplied to 18 shares without further investment on his part. He currently enjoys the benefit of the annual dividend on 18 times his original investment.

He also enjoys the benefit of repayments on the investment loan stock, which gives a return on involvement with his co-op and its business and which began in July 1994.

In closing then, we'll say that the endeavour of Captain Coghlan and his colleagues in the dying years of the Nineteenth century has been re-paid many times over. We are moving into the last years of the Twentieth century with farming and co-operation occupying a new dimension in a new world but with an important role still being played by Gaultier and its farmers. That is a good note on which to begin a new century of working together.

GAULTIER EMPLOYEES 1894-1994

From the time that William Cusack accepted the position of Manager in 1894, many people have worked at Gaultier Co-op. Some were employed in a temporary capacity to assist at busy times of the year while others devoted their whole working life to the Co-op.

In the early days conditions were difficult, wage increases were sanctioned by the Committee of Management who often refused requests. Legislation outlining conditions of work was not yet on the Statute books. The Co-op opened seven days per week and holidays, if given at all, were only allowed at Christmas time.

Employees shared in the profits of the Co-op and usually got a bonus at the end of each year. In 1921, as workers were unionised a 54 hour week was introduced, which was reduced to 48 hours in 1948 and now stands at 39 hours. Thursday half-day closure was also introduced in 1948.

At present time, with the introduction of forklifts in the yard and computers to deal with administration, greater turnover is being achieved with fewer employees.

GAULTIER CO-OP MANAGERS

William Cusack: 1894-1896

Mr. Walsh: 1896-1901

J.J. Fitzgerald: 1901-1902

Pat Ahern: 1902-1940

A.T. Hannon: 1940-1942

Bernard Mulhern: 1942-1966

Peter Daly: 1967-1984

Donal McGovern: 1985-1989

Walter Parkinson: Took up the role in 1989 and was still in the position at the time of this publication in 1994.

ASSISTANT MANAGERS

Bob Grace: 1958-1961

John Collins: 1961-1967

MANAGER 1902-1940

Pat Ahern was born in 1870 at Knocknaboola, Askeaton, Co. Limerick. His parents Tom and Nora ran a mixed 52 acre farm.

Pat first developed his skills in the dairy industry at Shannon Golden Co-op, Co. Limerick and at the age of 32 he moved to Gaultier Co-op and became its fourth manager, a post he held for 38 years until his retirement in 1940. 

In the early 1900's Pat married Julie Maher, who was dairymaid at the time. She was daughter of Thomas Maher, Ballyglan and had obtained a Certificate in Butter making from the Munster Institute, Cork. The couple had three children, two sons, John and Thomas, and a daughter, Una. Julie died in 1932 following a short illness. At this stage the family moved from Gaultier Co-op to live at Ballyglan where John Ahern continues farming and still resides. Tom joined the priesthood becoming a Monsignor and ministered in Australia for much of his life until his sudden death in 1966.

After his retirement, Pat went to live with his daughter Una. He died in Dundalk in 1948 aged 78.

RICHARD LYNCH

1932-1982

Richard (Dixie) Lynch was born on September 25th 1917, onto a mixed farm at Leperstown, Dunmore East.

From his earliest years, Dixie helped out at Gaultier Co-op, initially at week-ends, and then in 1932 having finished school, he took up permanent employment. His work experience stretches from the delivery of butter by horse and cart to Waterford, with a return load of presto and pollard, to grain dryer operator at harvest time. For many years Dixie was the boiler man in the dairy, an onerous position, which he held until its closure in 1960 when he transferred to general yard work. In 1967 he married Annie O' Brien of Rathmoylan, a granddaughter of Martin O'Brien, a founding Committee Member.

His brother, Paddy, was the first lorry driver employed at Gaultier in the 40's. Dixie has witnessed vast changes over the years, from horse and cart milk delivery to bulk milk collection and has seen the generations come and go on the farms in the Barony. His bond with Gaultier Co-op is such that to this day he visits the branch to do his daily shopping and to keep abreast of developments in the area. For Dixie, Gaultier Co-op has been a way of life and many people are indebted to him for his years of untiring service.

EMPLOYEES 1895 - 1942

Aug. 1895: William Cusack - 1st Manager salary £76 per annum + percentage of net profits.

Oct. 1895: Mary Ahern - 1st Dairymaid.

June 1890: Mr. Walsh - 2nd Manager. Salary 25/- per week + 10% of net profit (retired due to illness in 1901).

1896: Patrick Shea - engine man, William Power - storeman, engine driver, John Lynch - temporary storeman.

1898: Richard Quilty - Dairy assistant

June 1899: Mary Tobin, Kilmacleague - Assistant dairymaid.

March 1899: Miss Julie Maher - Dairymaid (to replace Mary Ahern who resigned) at £1.00 per week. Richard Butler - Yard.

Feb. 1901: James Dower - Wages 13/- per week. Employed to follow Co-op's Horse and Cart and as dairy assistant.

1901: Mr. Crowley - dairy assistant as replacement for Richard Quilty (RIP) at 15/- per week.

Aug. 1901: J.J. Fitzgerald manager at 25/- per week (until June 1902).

July 1902: Patrick Ahern appointed manager at 35/- per week.

Aug. 1910: Pat Power employed to replace George Crowley.

April 1912: James Murphy, Kilmacleague, temporary dairy employee at 12/- per week replaces Pat Power who resigned.

April 1918: Patrick Sheehan dairy employee 17/- per week.

April 1919: Wages increased to employees - Dower 30/- per week, Sheehan 25/- per week, Power 25/- per week.

May 1920: Mr. R. Mulcahy, Leperstown employed at 35/- per week in charge of horse and cart, and milk distribution to replace 

J. Dower who resigned.

July 1920: P. Sheehan - wages increased 32/6 per week.

Aug. 1920: W Kehoe dairy worker at 25/- per week.

June 1921: Irish Transport Workers Union wage increase agreed - Board rate : Sheehan at 35/6, Kehoe at 30/- for 54 hour week.

July 1922: R. Kearns, Leperstown employed as a dairy hand instead of W. Kehoe.

July 1923: Miss Power as Dairymaid at £4 per month John Foley boiler and engine man 30/- per week

1923: General Strike.

April 1924: Mr. O' Riordan, Charleville appointed as assistant manager and butter worker at 30/- per week, with free room, fire and light.

May 1926: Miss McGrath appointed butter maker at 30/- per week. Resigned January 1927.

Feb. 1927: Miss Alice Tobin appointed butter maker at 30/- per week.

1920's: Ellen Foley, Ballinamintra - assistant dairymaid.

Dec. 1932: Richard Lynch employed.

1930's: Patsy Sheehan, Ballinamintra - Boiler man; Jack Lynch, Leperstown - General Worker.

March 1940: Pat Ahern resigns.

April 1940: A.T. Hannon appointed manager transferred from Knockmeal Creamery, at £200 per year.

Jan. 1941: Patrick Lynch, Leperstown trained as Lorry Driver for new lorry.

June 1942: Mr. Hannon resigns to take another position.

BERNARD MULHERN

MANAGER 1942-1966

Bernard Mulhern was born in the year 1906 near Ballymote, Co. Sligo. After primary school education at Knockalassa National School he received his Secondary education in Ballymote at the end of which he won aScholarship to study Dairy Science at University College, Cork.

He graduated from University College, Cork, in 1929/30 after which he worked as Creamery Manager in various parts of the Country including Ballinamult, Co. Waterford. He was Assistant Creamery Manager at Shelburne Co-op, Campile, Co. Wexford, when the Creamery was bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. He escaped death on the day in question mainly by reason of the fact that he was out of the office at lunch when the bombing raid took place. Subsequently, he worked as Creamery Manager in Tullamore, Co. Offaly before coming as Creamery Manager to Gaultier Co-op in 1942 where he remained until his death in 1966.

WILLIAM POWER

1964 - Still employed in 1994

Willie is the longest serving staff member at Gaultier Since joining in 1964 his early years were spent as a lorry driver bringing bulk milk from Gaultier, Ida and West Waterford branches to Dungarvan for processing. Later, he helped transport milk in churns to the newly opened Kilmeaden cheese plant. As time passed, his energies were devoted to deliveries of coal, grain and farm goods locally. In 1970 Gaultier purchased a forklift and Willie became its first operator.

Willie was born into a farming family at Carballybeg. In 1955 he married Edith Bolger and the couple have 10 children, 6 boys and 4 girls. They farm at Old Mill, Kilmacleague. Prior to joining Gaultier, Willie had worked at the Gas Works in Youghal, Delahunty's in Clonmel and on the farm of John Pierce, Keylogue

Willie has the distinction of working with four managers and has seen many changes take place at Gaultier over the years.

JOHN COLLINS

1961-1986

John Collins, a native of Ballina, Co. Tipperary, started his working career at the local creamery. From there he spent eight years at Coolmoyne Creamery, Fethard before travelling to England where he secured a position doing laboratory work.

In 1961 John, his wife Kitty and family returned to Ireland and settled at Gaultier which was their home until 1978. Originally he joined the staff as assistant manager, until rationalisation, resulting from amalgamation, necessitated change. In 1967 John moved to Kilmeaden, and became the first sales representative in the East Waterford Area. He continued dealing with Gaultier suppliers and built up strong links with many of them.

A keen sportsman John played handball at Minor, Junior and Senior level for his home County and was a winner in all categories. Hurling was another great passion. He played for Tipperary at Minor level in the 40's. Another lifelong interest of John's is traditional Irish music. He is founder member of "Scor" in County Waterford and still plays weekly with the Comhaltas Ceoltoire Eireann group in Waterford.

In 1978 he moved to Waterford and since his retirement in 1986 his main interests are music and golf.

EMPLOYEES 1942 - 1966

July 1942: Bernard Mulhern employed at £208 per year and free house, fire and light.

May 1943: Wages increased - Manager £250 per annum, general worker 36/ per week, dairymaid £2 per week.

Sept. 1943: J.J. Butler, Ballymacaw, employed as trainee help at £1.00 per week.

1944: Miss E. Crotty, Kilmacleague - Clerical.

Dec. 1944: R. Kearns dies while still staff member.

May 1946: Wm. Whelan - chargehand in new store previously employed at Jos. M. Sweeney, Athenry.

July 1946: Wage increase dairy staff at 44/- per week, Miss E. Crotty paid 50/- per week.

Aug. 1946: Miss E. Crotty resigns from clerical staff.

Oct. 1946: Miss Lily Walsh, Ballygarron appointed office helper.

July 1948: Statutory basic wage and 48hr week introduced for workers.

July 1948: Employees as follows : Miss Tobin, John Butler, Bill Farrell, R. Lynch, J. Ellis, James Murphy and J. Whitty.

March 1949: Miss Walsh wages increase to £3.00 per week - manager bonus of £50, staff bonus of £3, 5% dividend paid on shares. John Ellis - Lorry driver.

1940's: Other Employees: Tommy Dunphy Snr., Ballinamintra; Paddy Power, Harristown; William Ryan, Kilmacleague; Jimmy Power, Callaghane.

Feb. 1950: Miss C. Butter, Liceawn appointed as temporary office assistant at 40/- per week.

March 1950: Nicholas Farrell, Kilcohan, employed as shop assistant.

June 1950: Manager salary increased to £600.

Sept. 1950: Kevin Coghlan, Dromina, employed as dairy assistant. Miss C. Butler wages increase to £3 per week.

April 1956: Rita Butler employed as secretary.

1950's: Other Employees:

Lorry Drivers: William Power, Harristown; Billy Caulfield, Leperstown; Richard Mulally, Leperstown.

Shop Assistant: Richard Cleary, Gregaridda.

General Workers: Jim Murphy, Ballymacaw; Michael Flynn, Ballinamintra; Dominic Flynn, Ballydavid; Richard Dunne, Ballymacaw; William O' Sullivan, Gregaridda; John Whitty, Ballymabin; Nicholas Barry, Knockhouse; Willie Dunne, Coxtown; Richie Doyle, Lisselan; Maurice Whitty, Kilmacomb; Davy Corcoran, Crooke; Francis Cullinane Jnr, Leperstown; Peter Walsh, Ballyvoreen, Woodstown; Stan Cullinane, Leperstown

Casual Workers: Lorry Drivers: Billy Coghlan, Dromina, Woodstown.

General Workers: Johnny Hutchinson, Crooke, Passage East; Davy Hutchinson, Crooke, Passage East; Bernard O' Grady, Passage East; John Elliot, Passage East; Paddy Power, Harristown; Mossy Power, Gregaridda; Bobby Kehoe, Leperstown; Robert McNamara, Rathmoylan; Richie Flynn, Ballinamintra; Hugh Kearns, Kilmacomb; John Furlong, Kilmacleague; Pat O' Connor, Ballymabin; Johnny Ivory, Falloon; Paddy Sweeney, Kilmacleague; Jimmy Sweeney, Kilmacleague; Johnny Walsh, Rathmoylan; Maurice Power, Ballinamintra.

June 1964: Willie Power employed as lorry driver.

Aug. 1965: Thomas Dunphy employed.

Late 1966: Bernard Mulhern dies.

PETER DALY

MANAGER 1967-1984

Peter Daly, a native of Cadamstown, Co. Offaly, was born into a farming family on July 30th 1927. His early education was received at the local National School. In 1937 he started his post primary education at Roscrea College where his interests in hurling and rugby developed. His keen interest in sport won him many medals both at school, college, and later, at County level. His love of hurling remained a lifelong passion and he seldom missed an important Championship or League match especially when Offaly were playing.

Following his studies at Albert College, Dublin, Peter transferred to U.C.C. where he graduated with a B.S.C. (Dairy Science) in 1948.

His early work took him to Tuam, Co. Galway, Tipperary Co-op, Kanturk Creamery, and Carlow Sugar Factory and finally as manager at Cullencastle Creamery. In 1963 Peter moved to Kilmeaden to take charge of dairy intake and butter manufacture before finally settling in as Manager of Gaultier Co-op in 1967.

He remained there until his untimely death in 1984. Peter's wife, Cait and family, still reside at Tramore.

MYRA STONE

Myra is a native of Gaultier, being an only daughter of Danny and Bernie Doyle, Kilmacleague. She joined the staff in October 1975 as grocery and hardware assistant, a post she holds to the present time. In September 1992 she married Michael Stone, Portlaw and the couple reside at Kilmacleague with their daughter Michelle.

PAT BOLAND

Pat was born at Liccawn where he still resides. After finishing school he worked for local farmers Patrick Power, Creaden and Roger Shipsey. He began working at Gaultier in a temporary capacity assisting at harvest time and on the lorry. In 1977 he took up a permanent position. Besides being general yard assistant, Pat has worked as a lorry driver and for many harvests has been the principal grain drying operator.

EMPLOYEES 1967 - 1984

1960’s

Peter Daly appointed as manager.

Other Employees: - Lorry Drivers: Mark Dingley, Portally.

Shop Assistants: Peter McGrath, Ballygarron; Eddie McGrath,Ballygarron.

General Workers: John Flynn, Gregaridda; John O' Grady, Coolum; Davy Murphy, Ballymacaw.

Casual Workers: Tommy Daly, Lisselan; William Sullivan, Falloon; Eddie Walsh, Ballyvoreen; Brendan Griffin, Coxtown; Jim Cullinane, Leperstown; Danny Daly, Ballymacaw; William Sullivan, Kilmacomb; Paddy O' Regan, Killea; Paddy Harte, Rosduff; John Murphy, Barristown; John Whelan, Falloon.

 1970's

May 1970: Sean Fitzgerald employed.

Feb. 1971: B.J. Power resigns.

May 1971: William Whelan resigns from shop.

June 1971: Nicholas Farrell resigns.

Aug. 1971: Richard Roynane employed.

June 1972: Rita Butler retires.

Feb. 1973: Agnes Cullinane employed.

June 1972: Anne Hogan employed as secretary.

March 1973: T. Power (Lorry driver) retires.

May 1975: Beryl Hogan ceased work.

Nov. 1975: Rosemary Fitzgerald ceased work.

Sept. 1975: Myra Stone (Doyle) employed.

May 1977: Pat Boland employed.

March 1979: Dick Roynane retired.

1970's: Brid Whittle, Moonamintra; Marian Walsh, Barristown.

Casual Workers: Michael Power, Kilmacquague; Pat Dunphy, Ballinamintra; Finbar Power, Kilmacleague; Noirin Clifford, Ballinamintra; Marian Daly, Tramore; Catherine Phelan, Coolum; Toni Delahunty, Harristown; Muriel Murphy, Ballymacaw; Marcella Power, Ballinkina.

1981 - 1984

June 1981: Anne Hogan retires.

Oct. 1981: Mary Whittle employed as secretary.

July 1982: Richard Lynch retires.

April 1982: Agnes Cullinane ceases work.

Sept. 1984: Peter Daly dies.

WALTER PARKINSON

MANAGER

Walter, son of Jim and Nellie Parkinson, was reared on a mixed dairy farm at Ballycarnane on the outskirts of Tramore. Educated at C.B.S., Tramore and De La Salle College, Waterford, he continued his studies at U.C.D. where he graduated in 1976 with a B. Agr. Sc. degree. As part of his degree he undertook a year's study at Kildalton Agricultural College.

Following four years developing the dairy enterprise at home Walter went to work for Bord Gais Eireann as a Liaison Officer on the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline.

In November 1981 he obtained a position as Sales Representative in East Waterford, working in Carrick-on-Suir and Gaultier Areas. A feature of his responsibility was the development of agricultural chemicals in the Region. Walter was appointed Manager at Gaultier in March 1989.

PAULA KEANE

Paula hails from Dunhill, Co. Waterford. She is the third daughter of Mary Murphy and the late Eddie Murphy. Her father Eddie served for many years on the Kilmeaden Advisory Committee. She joined the staff at Kilmeaden in 1985 and transferred to Gaultier in 1988. She married Brendan Keane, Fahafeelagh, Kilmacthomas, in July 1992 and the couple reside at Shanaclune, Dunhill.

EMPLOYEES 1985

Jan. 1985: Donal McGovern transfers from Dairy Division, Dungarvan to Gaultier as Manager.

Dec. 1986: Sean Fitzgerald retires.

May 1988: Paula Keane (Murphy) transfers from Kilmeaden to Gaultier as secretary.

May 1988: Thomas Dunphy retires.

Feb. 1989: Donal McGovern transfers to South East Area, Clonroche.

Feb. 1989: Walter Parkinson appointed Manager.

Casual Workers: Maurice Power, Kilmacleague; Anthony Flynn, Leperstown; Brendan Ahern, Ballyglan; Pat Lynch, Parkswood; Tony Daly, Tramore; John Cantwell, Knockenduff, Tramore; Una Daly, Tramore; Mary Sheehan, Kilmacleague; Martha Daly, Tramore.

Feb. 1991: Mary Whittle retires.

Casual Workers: David Flynn, Kilmacomb; Paul Flynn, Kilmacomb; Anna Murphy, Ballygarron; Emer Flynn, Kilmacomb; Seamus Flynn, Leperstown; Sinead Kehoe, Ballygarron; Matthew Kehoe, Ballygarron; Jack Cusack, Gurtahilla; Anita Halley, Brownstown.

COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT

The Management Committee played a pivotal role in the development of Gaultier Co-op. From the pioneering work of Captain Coghlan and his first Committee, to the mid 1960's when the bold decision of recommending amalgamation was taken the Committee has made all the major decisions that led to the success of Gaultier.

The Committee hired and fired its employees, from Manager to general worker, they fixed the wages, the milk price, the services provided to its shareholders and oversaw debt collection and stock taking. The first Committee was especially brave as the blueprint for the Co-operative movement was only developing and many decisions were taken without previous experience.

The enthusiasm of the first Committee was not maintained during the twenties and the early thirties. Many committee meetings had to be cancelled due to lack of a quorum but thankfully this apathy was short-lived.

Stability was ensured by having many members give long years of dedicated service - people like Captain Coghlan (32 yrs), Pat Ivory (34 Yrs), Patrick Farrell (31 yrs), Tom Walsh (27 yrs), Dick Delahunty (32 yrs), Seamus Cullinane (23 yrs) are an example of the commitment and dedication given by so many. They represented the farmers of the area with total commitment and gave selflessly of their time and energies.

Today the Committee acts in an Advisory role to Waterford Co-op. It gives guidance to local management and elects the Board representatives, who act to ensure that farmer suppliers interests are maintained at all times.

While the nature of the Committee has now changed it still plays an important role in the development and expansion of Waterford Co-op / Waterford Foods.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

Capt W.C. Coghlan, Dromina, Woodstown. - 1894-1916

Rev. Canon M. Casey P.P., Harbour View, Rosduff - 1917-1930

James O' Brien, Leperstown - 1930-1940

Patrick Ivory, Ballyglan - 1940-1958

James Power, Knockhouse - 1958-1969

Thomas F. Walsh, Carrigsaggart - 1969-1994

James Richardson, Rosduff - 1994

CAPTAIN W.C. COGHLAN

(CHAIMAN 1894 - 1916)

Captain W.C. Coghlan was a native of Dromina, Woodstown. He had a distinguished army career rising to the rank of Captain. On his return to Gaultier he invested all his energies in setting up and nurturing the first Co-operative Society to be founded in County Waterford, and indeed, in the South East. From the day R.A. Anderson visited Killea in November 1894, Captain Coghlan was a tireless worker in developing the co-operative movement. He was a regular contributor to IAOS debates and his thinking was always driven by how best farmers could support and market their produce to best advantage. His son John was secretary of Gaultier for many years. Captain W. Coghlan remained as Chairman until his death in Sept. 1916.

In 1973 his grandson Kevin, was elected to the Committee and keeps alive the family involvement of directing the business of Gaultier.

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1894 - 1916

Dec. 1894: 1st Committee : Capt. Coghlan (Dromina) Chairman, Martin O' Brien (Brownstown), John Fitzgerald (Rathmoylan), John McCarthy (Creaden), Edmond Phelan (Ballyglan), Patrick Murphy (Leperstown), F.G. Kent (Island View), Henry Morris (Belle Lake), James Phelan (Dunmore).

Jan. 1896: Matt Phelan (Keylogue) co-opted.

March 1900: Edmond Flynn (Ballinamintra) elected to replace John Fitzgerald RIP.

Sept. 1902: John Coghlan (Dromina) elected.

April 1995: Patrick Power (Keylogue) elected.

Feb. 1907: R.E. Power elected.

Jan. 1910: Patrick Murphy resigned.

Feb. 1910: Patrick Sheehan (Leperstown) elected.

April 1911: H. Gallwey, M. Morrissey, G.A. Kent, James O' Brien elected onto Committee.

Feb. 1912: Michael Nugent (Ballinkina), William Pierce (Keylogue), P. Lynch (Ballinkina) co-opted.

Feb. 1914: N. Farrell co-opted.

March 1916: Capt. Coghlan died.

CANON JOHN CASEY (CHAIRMAN 1917 - 1930)

Canon John Casey was a native of Stradbally. He was educated at St. John's College, Waterford and ordained on May 27th, 1875 and was immediately appointed C.C. of Stradbally in 1875. He was removed to Ballyduff in 1880 and later to St. Peter & Paul's (Clonmel), Kilrossanty, Carrick-on-Suir and St. John's (Waterford). In 1890 Canon Casey was appointed Administrator of Ballyduff, was removed to the Curacy of Passage on March 6th, 1894, appointed C.C. of Cappoquin on March 8th 1896 and P.P. of Ardmore on November 10th, 1907. He was transferred to Passage on 27th August, 1911 and appointed to the Cathedral Chapter on April 23rd, 1919.

In June 1917 it was agreed to transfer the shares of the late Canon Flynn P.P to Canon Casey, thus making Canon Casey a shareholder of Gaultier Co-op Society, He was immediately appointed as Chairman of the Management Committee. He held this position until his death on August 6th, 1930, aged 80 years.

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1917 - 1930

May 1917: Rev. M. Casey P.P. (Harbour View, Rosduff) elected and became Chairman.

April 1918: J. Power (Belle Lake) elected.

March 1924: Mr. P. Ivory (Ballyglan), Mr. J. Butler (Liccawn) co-opted.

June 1926: Richard E. Power died.

March 1928: N. Farrell deceased.

July 1930: Canon Casey deceased.

JAMES O' BRIEN

(CHAIRMAN 1930 - 1940)

James O' Brien was born at Leperstown, Dunmore East and farmed there all his life. Together with his wife, Anastatia, they raised a family of five; sons, William, Richard, Maurice and James and a daughter, May. His farming comprised of milking cows and the breeding of horses, "Troopers" for sale and export to the Swiss army. He served on the management committee from 1911 - 1940 and was Chairman from 1930 - 1940. Following his retirement, his son William was elected onto the committee and remained a member until 1968. Today his grandson Eugene Power, farms extensively at Harristown and Castletown.

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1930 - 1940

Sept. 1930: James O' Brien elected President (Chairman).

March 1930: John Corcoran (Belle Lake), J. Spencer (Brownstown) elected.

March 1940: J. O' Brien resigns Chairmanship. Pat Ivory elected to Chair. Patrick Halley (Brownstown), Richard Phelan (Orchardstown), Patrick Farrell (Ballinamintra) elected.

PAT IVORY

(CHAIRMAN 1940 - 1958)

Born at Callaghane, Pat moved to Ballyglan when he married Anastatia Phelan. The couple had a family of five boys and four girls. Willie, one of their sons, ran the farms at Ballyglan and Belle Lake until 1968.

Pat was an active Chairman and during his tenure, Gaultier Co-op invested in Miloko Chocolate Crumb Factory, which was founded in 1950. He also instigated an annual outing for the Committee which brought them to places like Wexford, Kerry and Galway. He retired in 1958 at the age of 84 and died two years later.

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1941 - 1958

May 1941: William O' Brien (Leperstown) elected.

May 1945: Committee members agreed to increase their number from 8-10 members.

June 1945: Philip Cusack (Gurtahilla), Nicholas Sheehan (Leperstown) co-opted to Committee to fill extra seats.

May 1946: Committee seats increase from 10 - 12. W.C. Coghlan (Dromina) co-opted.

June 1946: Gaultier Committee visited Shelburne Co-op 25/6/1946.

June 1949: Special Committee meeting held at Commercial Room, Royal Hotel, Galway attended by P. Ivory, Thos Power, P. Cusack, William O'Brien, - to consider taking share in Chocolate Crumb Factory at Carrick-on-Suir.

Nov. 1949: P. Halley resigns.

Jan. 1950: James Power (Knockhouse), John Sheehan (Leperstown) co-opted.

1953: W.C. Coghlan retires.

1954: J.A. Coghlan, Dromina co-opted.

1955: Thomas Power resigns.

1955: Dick Delahunty (Harristown), Jack Lynch (Ballinkina) elected.

1956: Nicholas Sheehan and Jack Lynch retire.

JAMES POWER

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 1958 - 1969

WATERFORD CO-OP CHAIRMAN 1966

James farmed extensively at Knockhouse, Belle Lake supplying Gaultier Co-op with milk and grain. He was co-opted onto the Management Committee in 1950 and served actively until his retirement in 1969. In 1958 he was elected Chairman of the Committee, at a time when Gaultier farmers were deciding their future - either to remain as a single independent Co-op or to be part of a larger group. James helped steer shareholders towards amalgamation. In 1966 he was elected Chairman of the newly formed Waterford Co-op.

In the fifties he founded the local branch of the ICMSA and was secretary for some years. He was also an active member of Waterford Mart.

James continued farming until his death in 1981. Today, his son Edward maintains a deer farm at Knockhouse and continues the family's link with Gaultier.

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1963 - 1969

Nov. 1963: James Power (Chairman), P. Farrell, R. Delahunty, W. O' Brien, John Butler and P. Cusack approved proposal to amalgamate Creameries in County.

March 1964: Special general meetings of Shareholders approve amalgamation.

May 1964: Committee members elected to first board of Waterford Co-op - James Power and Patrick Farrell.

June 1964: Committee re-elected - now functions as Advisory Committee to Waterford Co-op.

Dec. 1964: One board member to be appointed to Committee of Kilmeaden Cheese factory and farm. James Power selected.

June 1965: J. Butler (Liccawn) and J.A. Coghlan retire. John Butler (Gregaridda), Patrick Power (Ballinkina), Milo Galgey (Killawlan), Patrick Morrissey (Harristown), Patrick Power (Ballyglan), John J. Kirwan (Harristown) elected.

June 1967: Milo Galgey dies.

Aug. 1967: T.F. Walsh and Wm. Halley elected replacing M. Galgey and J.J. Kirwan.

March 1968: Wm. O' Brien resigns.

April 1968: J. Pierce (Keylogue) and G. Jennings (Forenaught) elected to replace P. Morrissey and Wm. O' Brien (Resigned) - James Power (Chairman) and Patrick Farrell are Board representatives.

April 1969: Ml. Corcoran (Kilmacleague) and Seamus Cullinane (Forenaught) elected. James Power retired.

THOMAS F. WALSH

CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE 1969 - 1994

CHAIRMAN WATERFORD CO-OP 1969 - 1987

Thomas F. Walsh was born second son to Tom Walsh, Moonimane, Clonea, Co. Waterford. From an early age Tom developed his interest and skills as a milk producer, as the Walsh’s were substantial milk suppliers to the local creamery at Ballydurn, Kilmacthomas. Tom attributes local Creamery Manager, Mick Phelan, as the principal influence on his early developing interest in the co-operative movement.

In 1956, at the age of 33 he purchased 100 acres of land at Carrigsaggart, Passage East and began farming in his own right. It was in that same year that Tom married Joan Hurley of Newcastlewest, who at the time was nursing at the Waterford County & City Infirmary. Tom and Joan were progressive and hardworking farmers and over the years extended their holding to over 230 acres.

In the early years, Tom concentrated on tillage, growing barley, wheat and sugar beet. From 1958-1962 he ran a pig enterprise efficiently at Carrigsaggart, testimony to which, was the winning of the Denny Cup for bacon carcass at the Iverk Show. 1960 saw the arrival of the first 10 cows, the number of which peaked at 180 and became the main enterprise on the Walsh farm. Due to improved breeding and quota restrictions the number now stands at 140.

At first, most of the milk was supplied as bottled milk to households in Passage East and Waterford, with surplus milk going to Gaultier creamery. In 1966 Snowcream took over the milk round and Tom ceased bottling milk himself. Over the years he has won many quality milk awards culminating in 1988 when he received the Waterford Co-op Super Milk Supplier Award.

He lays claim to being one of the first farmers in Ireland to be licensed to use DIY AI and is presently Chairman and Director of a Company which imports semen from proven sires for sale to fellow farmers.

In 1967 Tom joined the Gaultier Advisory Committee. In 1969 he was elected Chairmen of the Committee and also elected to the Board of Management of Waterford Co-op. On his first day in Dungarvan he was elected Chairman of Waterford Co-op, a position he held with distinction until his retirement from the post in 1987. During his Chairmanship the enlargement and development of Waterford Co-op took place resulting in the formation of Waterford Foods plc and the international development of the company. He retired as Board Member in June 1994. Through the years Tom has remained a loyal committed supporter of the Co-op movement. Now retired, he maintains an active interest in the development of Waterford Co-op through his farming and the family tradition is being ably carried on by his son Maurice.

Tom has never been afraid to question and argue strongly what he considered to be in the best interests of his fellow farmers and shareholders. His support for Gaultier has been an example to all, truly he practiced the principles he preached!

GAULTIER COMMITTEES 1969 - 1994

May 1969: T.F. Walsh elected Chairman. Tom Walsh and John Butler elected to

Board. Tom Walsh appointed Chairman of Waterford Co-op.

July 1971: P. Farrell retires, Pat Crotty (Ballymabin) and Norbert Flynn (Leperstown) elected. P. Cusack retires.

Feb. 1973: John Pierce (resigns).

July 1973: Elected - James Richardson (Rosduff) and Kevin Coghlan (Dromina).

June 1977: Richard Phelan (resigns) dies Sept. 1977. Davy Lodge (Ballymacaw) elected.

Aug. 1979: New Rule - Members must retire aged 70.

June 1983: P. Crotty and Norbert Flynn retire. Noel Hearne (Kill St. Nicholas) and James Power (Ballinamintra) elected. Tom Walsh and John Butler to board.

Dec. 1985: John Butler resigns.

May 1986: Pat Delahunty (Harristown) elected. Tom Walsh - Chairman, James Richardson - Board

April 1987: Richard Delahunty retires.

May 1987: Richard Power (Ballyglan) elected. Tom Walsh elected Chairman of Committee and Board member and resigns from Chairmanship of Waterford Co-op.

June 1991: Committee re-elected. Richard Power retires. Michael Farrell (Kilcohan) elected.

Sept. 1992: Seamus Cullinane retires.

July 1993: Maurice Fitzgerald (Kilmacleague).

June 1994: Tom Walsh retires. Owen Lynch (Passage East) and John Cusack (Gurtahilla) elected. Davy Lodge retires. James Richardson and Michael Corcoran elected to Board.

Committee : James Richardson (Chairman), Noel Hearne (Vice Chairman), Michael Corcoran (Board), Patrick Delahunty, Kevin Coghlan, John Cusack, James Power, George Jennings, Owen Lynch, Maurice Fitzgerald, William Halley, Michael Farrell.

"GAULTIER CO-OP"

(Air "Mountains of Mourne")

O! Mary, this creamery is a wonderful spot,

Besides cream and butter they've everything got.

They've plenty potatoes and lashings of meat

Pots, pans and kettles, all groceries and peat.

For all of your marketing there you should go,

And sure Mary Machree, you'll very soon know

Whatever the needs it's most handy to shop

With this topping fine business of Gaultier Co-op.

O! sweetly the pulse of this bountiful place

A vista of loveliness fondly embrace ;

With staunch Kilmacomb who's portal tower o'er

The rippling Belle Lake by the Road to Dunmore.

Where angels of beauty find blissful repose,

And birds sing bright psalms to the grandeur that grows.

In the fresh flares of morning 'tis pleasant to see

All the milk carts a-joggling to the creamery.

O! Mary, the employees are all a fine crew-

To be telling their names, here's only a few :

There's Dixie and John Joe, then Bill in the store

With the grain that was kissed by winds from Tramore ;

Miss Tobin, a dairymaid, efficient and neat,

And Mr. Mulhern with compliments we greet-

A competent manager who steers from the top

This flourishing business of Gaultier Co-op.

Roger Power, Ballygunner.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This booklet was researched from the National Archives and the minute books of Gaultier Co-operative Society Ltd. since 1894 and from local knowledge.

Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way, no matter how small, but especially the Gaultier staff, Andy Kelly and Bill Power.

This is your book.

The sponsorship of the following is gratefully acknowledged.

Alltech Ireland

BASF

Bord na Mona

Campus

СІВА

Carl Kaemmerling (CK)

Charles Hughes Ltd.

Flo Gas

Gouldings

Grassland Fert (Kilkenny) Ltd.

Interchem

Irish Cement

IFI

Irish Ropes

Irish International Trading

Kelleher Electrical

Thomas McDonagh Group

Mallinckrodt Veterinary

Mosanto

MSD Agvet (makers of Ivomec)

Premier Molasses

Preference Products Ltd.

Power Seeds and Hardware

Roadstone

Spar

Tullow Farm Machinery Ltd.

Tinsley Wire Ltd.

Uponor

Upjohn Ltd.

Zeneca

"This online version was created when Liam Halley lent the booklet to Dr. Pat MulDowney, who photographed its pages and sent them to me. I subsequently reproduced both the images and text, making them accessible on this website. We hope the Gaultier Co-op will not raise any objections". 

Des Rutter.