‘OH yes, that’s the egg lady right?’

Mention Caroline Murphy’s name pretty much anywhere in West Cork and that’s the reaction,  which is a measure of both her popularity and her success. 

Caroline marked 10 ‘official’ years of West Cork Eggs in 2025, selling one million boxes of eggs since the launch, and  is widely lauded as a great example of a sustainable and scalable farm diversification.

Among other things, she marked the milestone by researching new value-added products, upskilling in farming and launching a new coaching/mentoring business.

‘I count 2015 as year one as that’s when we joined Super Valu’s Food Academy, so we’re around a decade now. We’re  definitely not the new kid on the block which got me thinking about what the next decade might look like,’ said the native Londoner. ‘And I definitely don’t want to just stand still – there’s more to me and there’s more to West Cork Eggs.’ 

With that in mind, Caroline has launched the "West Cork Food Collective" which is a new initiative to ‘officially recognise the link between local food producers and the retailers/restaurants/bars that champion us.’

It operates on a tiered basis, awarding establishments with Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Ambassador window decals. These stickers serve as a visual "seal of approval," allowing customers to immediately see the level of support a business gives to local producers.

‘Essentially, I’ve launched the “Collective” to highlight the wonderful food producers and their supporters in West Cork. Good news and hard work should always be credited. If a customer sees one of our stickers in a window, they will know they are genuinely supporting local food producers,’ she explained. 

Five established West Cork businesses have already committed namely Fields SuperValu, Skibbereen; O'Reilly's Londis, Rosscarbery; Riverside, Skibbereen; Scally’s SuperValu, Clonakilty and Scannell’s Bar, Clonakilty and while it’s still early days, Caroline’s ambition is that it would become a blueprint that could be replicated in communities nationwide. 

Meanwhile, as past president of Network West Cork, she’s been involved in mentoring unofficially for years and has recently launched her own coaching business as a means of giving back. 

‘I’ve always valued the importance of being mentored. It’s incredible to help someone get unstuck, to see someone have that ‘aha’ moment from when they couldn’t see the wood from the trees.

‘If I can help one person through my coaching that’s a good thing. Working for yourself can be a lonely place. Family and friends are great but they may not always get it and chances are whatever issues my clients are experiencing, I’ve already encountered it. I‘ve been very lucky with the people and support I’ve had along the way including from the Food Academy and the Local Enterprise Office, it’s all about building relationships and now it’s my turn to give back.’

A born and bred Londoner, it was never on Caroline’s agenda to marry a second generation dairy farmer from Rosscarbery and settle here. 

‘My dad is from West Cork and my mother is from Kilkenny so we always holidayed in Ireland. I wanted to try living here for 12 months and then I met my now husband Batt and never left!’ she said. 

West Cork eggs came out of a personal tragedy in the couple’s lives in 2009, when their daughter Leah was born asleep at 27 weeks. Grieving her loss, Caroline bought four hens for her three kids. 

‘In my grief I wanted to be a mother earth type to my children, so I got the hens. It turns out that’s not me but in the throes of my grief I wanted that. So I suppose Leah inspired the business which means she has a lot to answer for!’

She started with four hens in the front garden, and today she has 3,500, in three houses, and four staff which she says are essential to her success story. 

West Cork Eggs celebrated 10 years in business in 2025 and has to date sold one million boxes since its 2015 launch (Photo: Andy Gibson.)

And that story is evolving all the time. Right now Caroline is working on new product development and hope to have news on a launch soon.

‘My idea is that I really want to be able to use what we have in our business and on the farm, to add value. Farming has given us a great life but I feel that it’s very different to what it was 25 years ago. There’s so many variables to dairying: there’s no control over input prices, over output prices and ultimately you have only one customer. That all makes it very hard to forecast and budget,’ said Caroline. 

She isn’t hugely involved in the day-to-day running of the farm which she leaves to Batt and their eldest son Billy. The fact that she was attacked by a cow around 10 years ago has left her with some residual trauma, meaning she has more love for her hens than the cows. 

‘It was all very random. We were turning the cows in and this particular one was about to calf and she just went for me, knocking me to the ground, literally playing football with me. I had to play dead and when Batt came back up the field he saw me just lying there. I was lucky not be injured, except for a lot of bruising, but there’s definitely some trauma still there,’ she said. 

However, she feels everyone has to play to their strengths and hers is looking at the bigger picture, 

She has just been accepted to the ‘2026 IFA Ready to Lead Programme’ and she recently completed a course called ‘Business Farming Strategy,’ with the Smurfit Business School and Teagasc. 

‘Farming is becoming more and more like a business and you need to know where you’re going. The course was great I came out with a strategy and a timeline and goals for 2026,’ she said. 

Winning The Southern Star monthly farming award, she said, left her speechless. 

‘And that doesn’t happen very often. I’m humbled, because of the great company I’m in with past winners and also because at times I feel like an imposter in the farming world so the recognition means so much.’

Work-life balance is something she’s realising the importance of more and more. 

 ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup, you have to look after yourself.’

She enjoys jiving, line dancing, playing Gaelic with the Kilmacabea Mothers and Others and she’s the club health officer and mentors the underage teams. 

She’s mum to  Billy, 23; Kaitlin, 21; Callum, 18; and Isabelle, 15. 

‘And the business is like another child. I created it from nothing. I think some people thought I was cuckoo but it’s given me so much to be grateful for. It’s given me my own identity, helped me meet so many people, and done things that I’ve never have expected. West Cork has given me a wonderful life and for all the up and downs I wouldn’t swap it for the world.’

Why we support West Cork farming

For over 40 years, Scally’s SuperValu has remained a steadfast supporter of farmers and local producers in West Cork, continuing to play a key role in sustaining the region’s agricultural community during an increasingly challenging time for the sector.

A second-generation retailer, Martin Scally has grown up with a deep understanding of the importance of local business and the vital connection between retailers and producers.

‘In today’s economic climate, farmers across Ireland are facing rising input costs, market uncertainty, and ongoing pressure to meet environmental targets,’ says Martin Scally. ‘That’s why supporting local producers is more important than ever.

At Scally’s, we are committed to backing the people who work tirelessly to produce high-quality food on our doorstep, and we’re proud to continue our sponsorship of the 2026 West Cork Farming Awards.’

The shelves at Scally’s SuperValu are a reflection of that commitment, stocked with a wide range of locally sourced produce—from artisan cheeses and free-range eggs to fresh meat, fish, and seasonal vegetables—celebrating the best of what West Cork has to offer and reinforcing the importance of the ‘farm to fork’ approach.

By prioritising local sourcing, Scally’s not only supports farming families but also strengthens the wider rural economy. Keeping business local helps ensure that revenue is reinvested in the community, sustaining jobs and allowing small producers to remain viable in a time when many are under financial strain.

The West Cork Farming Awards will once again recognise the dedication, resilience, and innovation within the sector.

Each month, winners will be selected by a panel including representatives from the Southern Star and the agricultural industry, celebrating those making significant contributions across farming, agri-business, education, and research. Winners will be profiled both in print and online.

Providing shelf space and promotional support to local suppliers ensures their products reach a wider audience, while also meeting growing consumer demand for traceable, sustainably produced food. With increased awareness around food security and environmental impact, supporting local agriculture has become both a practical and responsible choice.

‘Despite the challenges, it’s encouraging to see the resilience and quality that continues to define West Cork producers,’ says Martin. ‘Their ability to adapt and innovate is something we’re proud to stand behind.’

As the agricultural sector continues to navigate uncertainty, Scally’s SuperValu remains a reliable partner to the farming community, championing local produce and looking forward to celebrating its achievements at the 2026 West Cork Farming Awards.