In 2025, we were delighted to complete a biodiversity project in the town of Cahir, led by Regina McGuirk, a member of our senior leadership team. This project was delivered in collaboration with our local community group Cahir Tidy Towns.
Creating the pollinator-friendly garden was a fantastic and rewarding day that brought employees from different divisions together to work within our community – while also supporting pollinators.
The plants that were used were selected from the ‘Top Ten Pollinator- Friendly Plants’ guide from the National Biodiversity Centre, and were carefully chosen to help ensure pollinators can survive and thrive.
In 2021, we became business supporters of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, a framework coordinated by the National Biodiversity Centre, which brings together multiple sectors across the island of Ireland to help create landscapes where pollinators can flourish and sustain healthy populations.
Ireland is home to over 100 different species of wild bees. Approximately 20% are bumblebees, 80% are solitary bees and we have one native honeybee which is not currently in decline.
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a shared plan of action. By working together, we can take meaningful steps to restore pollinator populations to healthy levels. Each year at Oakpark Foods, we complete evidence-based actions to support pollinators, such as ‘No Mow May’. Through not mowing during this period, we give native Irish wildflowers like Dandelions, Clover, and Birds-foot trefoil a chance to appear naturally. These species provide the best source of pollen and nectar for our wild pollinators.
Each year, we raise awareness of pollinators among our employees and are beginning to engage our suppliers on biodiversity, with several already supporting the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
We will continue to build on this engagement and support into 2026.
Oakpark Foods Volunteers: James Dee, Cristian Veste, Denise Moloney, Lucy Skehan, Martin Ryan, Colm Murphy, Kevin O’Keefe, Daragh Ryan and Regina McGuirk.
