Our 2025 Remembered series is brought to you in association with Bloom HQ, Mountrath
This piece originally appeared on LaoisToday on March 8, 2025
The farming community around Ballacolla gathered at the local Tirlán premises on Friday last to wish Val McCartney well as he retired after 44 years’ service.
Tirlán staff and farmers made presentations to Val for his outstanding customer service and dedication.
Branch manager Kieran Bowe said that the farmers approached him about organising a presentation to acknowledge Val’s long years of service and obliging nature.
“Val got on very well with customers. He was onto his fourth generation of customers and was always at the end of the phone for out-of-hours requests for things like wrap or feed. He would go back in and open up for them,” he said.
Val who lives in Dunmore but who was born and reared in Ballacolla as was his wife Kathleen, started off his working life as an apprentice electrician in Rathdowney meat factory and when that closed, he went on to work in agricultural contracting, on the buildings and with Brophys which was taken over by Avonmore.
When he joined Avonmore – now Tirlán – he worked in a variety of roles from driving lorries and vans to drying grain.
“About 1987/88 I moved into the shop and they locked me up there and never let me out,” Val laughed.
He enjoyed the interaction with customers, many of whom he knew through Clough-Ballacolla GAA which he chaired while playing for the club.
A former treasurer of Hawthorn Community Hall, he knew all his customers and their families.
“If someone was stuck for something after hours, I would drop in and get it for them and in fairness, people wouldn’t blackguard me.”
Val’s son Adrian who is also immersed in Clough-Ballacolla and who had been working in the Spink branch of Tirlán, will take over his job.
His daughter, Rachel, works in social care. He said he hasn’t any definite plans for his retirement. “The GAA will keep me busy. I’ll be up to Antrim on Sunday to see Laois hurling. For the time being I’ll just chill and enjoy my retirement.
“I’m looking forward to not being tied to the clock,” said Val who added that he was “a bit overwhelmed” by the turnout at his farewell gathering. “I really appreciate it. It was a very nice gesture.”
Our 2025 Remembered series is brought to you in association with Bloom HQ, Mountrath
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