Free Cheese Training at Cooleeney Farm

Cooleeney Farm near Thurles hosts a free full-day cheese training course on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, run by Tanny Gill of Cheese Knowledge Tour and the Scottish Cheese Academy. The course is aimed at anyone who works with cheese in a customer-facing role, retail, delis, food halls, hospitality or wholesale, and covers tasting, describing, cutting, serving and recommending cheese to customers. Cooleeney is one of Tipperary’s best-known farmhouse cheesemakers, producing a soft, Camembert-style cheese from the milk of its own herd since the 1980s.

What to expect

The day runs from 9:30am to 4pm and combines guided tasting with producer stories, an explanation of cheese styles and provenance, and practical sales-focused scenarios for staff who talk to customers about cheese every day. There is a farm tour and a question and answer session with the Cooleeney producers built into the programme, alongside more classroom-style sections on seasonality and presentation. It is pitched as practical rather than academic, suitable for complete beginners as well as staff who already have some cheese knowledge. Places are limited and free, with booking through Eventbrite required in advance.

Getting there

Cooleeney Farm is at Moynes, a few kilometres outside Thurles off the Thurles to Templemore road. Thurles is well served by Bus Éireann and Irish Rail services from Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and there is parking on site at the farm.

While you’re in Thurles

Thurles is Tipperary’s cathedral town and home to Semple Stadium, the county’s biggest GAA venue. There is more to see in Thurles and across Co. Tipperary.

Good to know

• Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
• Time: 9:30am to 4pm
• Venue: Cooleeney Farm, Moynes, near Thurles
• Price: Free, places limited, booking through Eventbrite required
• Audience: Aimed at retail, hospitality and food service staff, open to the public