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John J Myers, a reflection

28 October 2011

 John J Myers, who passed away last week in his 94th year, was the chief executive of Ballyclough Co-operative Creamery from 1971 to 1983. A native of Glenroe, Co. Limerick, he qualified with a diploma in Dairy Science in UCC in 1938 and in the following year joined Ballyclough Cooperative serving as branch manager in Carrignavar and subsequently in Doneraile, before moving to the central creamery in Mallow in 1942.

 In 1947, he became an assistant manager working under Ballyclough's long time general manager PJ Power. On Mr Power's death, in 1971 John became chief executive and secretary. John had an excellent and close working relationship with Ballyclough's committee of management under its then Chairman John O'Leary and its Vice Chairman, the late Billy Nagle.

 This also included the purchase of the Coachford and Terelton branches of the State-owned Dairy Disposal Company in 1972. One of his last major projects was the erection of the new milk powder plant at Macroom in 1979 which today is being upgraded by Danone with whom Dairygold has important supply contracts.

John retired as chief executive in 1983, but continued to maintain his interest in the dairy industry and farmed up until quite recently. John was predeceased by his wife Peg (nee Tierney) and is survived by his sons Patrick, Sean, Kevin and his daughter Maura. May he rest in peace.