Farmers have called for Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin to resign after a Dublin restaurant he part-owns was found to serve chicken sourced from the Netherlands and Poland. The dispute has become a major talking point in Ireland News, raising questions about public confidence in the State agency responsible for promoting Irish food.
Members of the Irish Farmers’ Association gathered outside Sole Seafood & Grill on Drury Street, Dublin, on Friday. The protest followed reporting that the restaurant had not been serving Irish or free-range chicken.
What happened in this Breaking News Ireland story?
The demonstration involved poultry farmers, particularly from Monaghan, Cavan and Louth. Several said they learned about the restaurant’s sourcing arrangements through media coverage the previous week.
Farmers argued that Murrin’s position as Bord Bia chair had become difficult to defend because the agency promotes Irish food while a business connected to him uses imported chicken. Bord Bia is a State-funded organisation tasked with supporting and promoting Irish food, drink and horticultural products.
IFA poultry chair Brendan Soden said the situation damaged the credibility of the agency. Other representatives stressed that the issue was not a challenge to a restaurant’s legal right to choose its suppliers, but a question of consistency and public trust.
Why farmers are challenging the Bord Bia chair
Patrick McCormick, the IFA’s national treasurer and a poultry farmer from Monaghan, said farmers were shocked and angry. He acknowledged that privately owned restaurants could operate as they wished, but described the arrangement as hypocritical given Bord Bia’s role in promoting Irish quality-assured produce.
Louth IFA chairman Kevin Sweeney said farmers recognised the value of Bord Bia’s work but questioned why a restaurant associated with its chair was not serving Irish poultry. He said switching to Irish chicken would be a first step, though he did not believe it would resolve the wider concern about Murrin’s position.
The protest adds to pressure that has already surrounded Murrin. He faced criticism earlier this year over the importation of Brazilian beef by Dawn Farms, the food group he founded and leads. At that time, the IFA and Sinn Féin also called for him to leave the Bord Bia chairmanship.
Restaurant explains chicken supply decision
Sole Seafood & Grill said it buys as much chicken from Ireland as possible, alongside its other meat products. However, it said it had been unable to secure a reliable and timely supply of chicken breasts from Irish producers.
The restaurant said it had therefore purchased high-quality chicken breast from an EU-based supplier through a reputable Irish-owned distributor. It also pointed out that imported chicken sold within the European Union must meet the same EU standards and regulations that apply in Ireland.
According to the restaurant’s statement, Irish consumption of chicken is higher than domestic production, with Ireland less than 50 per cent self-sufficient in chicken breast meat. The business is part of the EHL group, owned by Murrin and Padraic O’Kane.
Key facts
- The protest took place outside Sole Seafood & Grill on Dublin’s Drury Street.
- Farmers are seeking Larry Murrin’s resignation as Bord Bia chair.
- The restaurant said it uses Irish chicken where a consistent supply is available.
- The imported product came from EU-based suppliers in the Netherlands and Poland.
- Bord Bia declined to comment on the private business interests of individual board members.
Bord Bia response and previous controversy
Bord Bia said it does not comment on the private business interests of individual board members, including its chair. That response has not satisfied the farmers who attended the Dublin demonstration.
The latest dispute follows a review of Bord Bia’s governance that began after criticism linked to Brazilian beef supplied to Dawn Farms. The review found that Murrin was viewed as providing clear leadership at the agency.
Dawn Farms previously said Brazilian beef represented less than 1 per cent of its supply. The company said Irish beef made up the majority of its sourcing and that Irish, UK and other EU supplies accounted for more than 99 per cent of its annual supply in 2025.
Why the dispute matters for Irish farmers and consumers
The controversy reaches beyond one restaurant. It touches on the relationship between Irish farmers, food businesses and the national quality-assurance brand used to market Irish produce at home and abroad.
For poultry producers, reliable domestic demand is important because imported products can compete directly with Irish chicken. Farmers also say consumers may reasonably expect businesses linked to the country’s food promotion agency to demonstrate strong support for local produce.
For restaurants, the issue is more complicated. Supply consistency, price, product specifications and delivery schedules all influence purchasing decisions. Sole said that availability, rather than a rejection of Irish produce, was behind its sourcing choice.
What happens next?
The IFA is expected to maintain pressure for Murrin to step down. Farmers have previously staged protests connected to the Bord Bia chair, including an occupation of the agency’s lobby during the earlier beef controversy.
No resignation has been announced, and Bord Bia has not indicated that its position on Murrin has changed. The restaurant’s sourcing policy and the wider debate about domestic food supply are likely to remain under scrutiny as the story develops.
Frequently asked questions
Why are farmers calling for Larry Murrin to resign?
They believe his role as Bord Bia chair is undermined by the use of imported chicken at a restaurant he part-owns, despite Bord Bia’s promotion of Irish food.
Where did the restaurant’s chicken come from?
Sole Seafood & Grill said its chicken breast was sourced through an EU-based supplier. The product was reported as coming from the Netherlands and Poland.
What has Bord Bia said?
Bord Bia said it does not comment on the private business interests of individual board members, including the chair.
Does imported EU chicken meet Irish food standards?
The restaurant said EU-sourced chicken is subject to the same EU standards and regulations that apply to Irish products.
Conclusion
This Breaking News Ireland dispute highlights the tension between supporting Irish food producers and managing the practical demands of a restaurant supply chain. Farmers want stronger alignment between Bord Bia’s public mission and the commercial choices of its chair-linked businesses, while Sole Seafood & Grill says inconsistent domestic supply forced it to look elsewhere. With no resignation announced, the question of confidence in Bord Bia’s leadership remains open.
