Polly Congratulates Glenisk On Latest...

Early this afternoon I logged into my Facebook account to catch up with the world, his brother and sister and basically to have a good look around. Amongst the regular updates about Farmeville and the like (all of which I studiously ignore!) I came across the latest update from Glenisk.

Regular readers are no doubt aware that Glenisk is in fact one of my neighbours. In rural Ireland, if someone lives within a couple of miles as the crow flies, they are your neighbour and I am thrilled to have the pleasure of having watched the Cleary family from Newtown, Killeigh expand their business over the past three decades. Time after time I'm proud to say that this family business has been nominated for and received top awards and this week is no exception...

Glenisk is the overall winner of the SFA National Business Award 2010. Winning the Food & Drinks category, Glenisk also beat off competition from 35 other finalists to take the top prize. The award was presented to finance director, Gerard Cleary by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, TD, on Thursday, 4 March.

While we're on the subject of the latest from Glenisk, why not have a look at their new TV advert. Apparently, this was filmed in the middle of a particularly chilly December which meant that it wasn't practical to film au naturel, ie out on the farm. If you want to see how they did it head over here for more details...

So, congratulations to Vincent, Ger and all the lads over in Newtown! Keep up the good work and carry on bringing national and international awards back to our parish, making organics and sustainability hip, and the nation healthier...!

Polly Pierce

Vinca Cards - Handmade Wedding Stationery & Greeting Cards Made In Offaly

Polly See's Cleary Now...!

Dear God; will these guy's never stop? Hot on the heels of my last post; in which I championed some famous Offalian's on a local, national and international level I just received the latest copy of the Glenisk Newsletter.

Not content with being famously innovative; this family business has gone from strength to strength over the last thirty or so years. While still incarcerated at the Sacred Heart Convent in Tullamore I have fond memories of opening the quarter pint tetra-cartons of milk donated to the school on a daily basis during the early years of the Tullamore Dairies story.

As Christmas approaches so do the memories of the Cleary's driver dropping off a carton or two of cream from Santa Clause. The Cleary's have been a part of the community from start to finish, their dreams have grown to reality in the time that has realised enormous changes in this country alone. From being up there in the third world league tables, the Bengal Tiger famously immigrated and took Irish nationality...

Sadly it seems that the bubble has since burst; but not for Glenisk - the organic side of a business that started up a generation or so ago in Newtown, Killeigh. Not only does this company have a strong work ethic; upholding the belief that we should interfere as little as possible with our planet and all that it produces is equally important. Locally the Cleary's use Airtricity; generated from the one naturally occuring resource that Ireland is seldom short of - Wind! Maybe next they will be harnessing another type of wind produced by Green Cows!?

A little further afield this local hero is supporting yet another important project this Christmas; from a humble pot of cream to a herd of goats, maybe even a hive of bees. Glenisk has teamed up in promoting and sponsoring Bothar to produce a beautifully photographed Calendar for the New Year in 2009.

Vincent Cleary is pictured (right) with Patrick McCarrick of Bóthar and Sandy, one of Glenisk's goats at the launch of this year's calendar.

Each calender will cost just €10 (including postage to anywhere in the world) and it features images of successful projects in Nepal and Tanzania. Funds raised from the sale of this calendar will form part of the ongoing support to poor families in these two countries. Also featured are images of dairy goats from Ireland.

The Cleary family of Glenisk made the decision to sponsor the calendar because, as Vincent Cleary puts it: "We greatly admire Bóthar's work in helping to alleviate hunger among the world's poorest populations."

Just in case you are one of those poor people like me, who remember the the days when Christmas actually meant something, was smaller and more enjoyable why not have a look at gifting for charity. Faced with the difficult decision of what to buy for whom visit Bothar and download a copy of this years Christmas catalogue, let's help someone else for a change. Face it guy's; "...unlike most of the presents we exchange at this time of year, these are gifts that reflect the true spirit of Christmas."

"The Difference Is Cleary"

Did I forget to suggest that you pay the Cleary's another visit and check out their Awards and Accolades Page and see what these guy's are really up to..