Introduction to Small-Scale Dairy Farming and Processing - Síolta Chroí

What to Expect

This is a full day on what small-scale dairying actually involves, held at Síolta Chroí outside Carrickmacross on Sunday 27 September 2026 from 10am to 4pm. Gareth Conlon facilitates, with guest expert Gypsy from Leitrim Hill Creamery, a goat farm producing small-batch artisanal raw milk cheeses.

The course runs from the animal end through to the product. It covers regenerative approaches to keeping a small dairy herd healthy on grass, and then what to do with the milk once you have it, taking in cheese-making and other products such as ice cream. Having a working producer in the room is the draw here rather than a purely theoretical session, so expect frank detail on scale, licensing realities, what sells and what does not, and where the labour actually goes. It suits smallholders thinking about a house cow or a few goats, people already milking who want to add processing, and anyone weighing up a small food business. Pricing follows Síolta Chroí’s three tiers: €90 subsidised, €120 standard and €150 contributive, all buying the identical course with materials, instruction and hands-on learning included.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 27 September 2026, 10am to 4pm
• Venue: Síolta Chroí, Áth an Chlocháin, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
• Price: €90 subsidised, €120 standard, €150 contributive
• Facilitators: Gareth Conlon, with Gypsy of Leitrim Hill Creamery
• Included: course materials, instruction and hands-on learning
• Booking: through Eventbrite. Places are limited
• Best for: smallholders, prospective micro-dairy producers and home cheese-makers

Getting There

Síolta Chroí sits in the countryside at Áth an Chlocháin outside Carrickmacross in south Monaghan. Carrickmacross is on the N2, roughly 90 minutes from Dublin and a little over an hour from Belfast, and can also be reached from the M1 through Ardee. From the town the centre is a short drive on local roads. There is no bus to the site, so drive or take a bus to Carrickmacross and arrange a lift or taxi for the final stretch. Parking is available on site. Use the Eircode sent with your booking confirmation, as townland names alone can send satnav astray on these back roads.