MANY of the Clóna Dairy team in Clonakilty gathered recently to celebrate and honour their colleague Fred Griffin, who retired after an incredible 48 years of dedicated service.

Fred, who began working with Clóna Dairy in 1977, was warmly wished the very best in his retirement by all his friends and colleagues.

Known for his ever-present smile and positive attitude, Fred was a much-loved member of the Clóna family.

General manager Tony O’Driscoll attended the special retirement presentation last Friday, joined by a large group of Fred’s co-workers.

For many years, Fred worked on the cream filling machine, a role he carried out with precision and care.

Paying tribute to Fred, Tony described him as ‘a top-class operator’ and commended his outstanding work ethic and dedication throughout his career.

Fred fondly reminisced about his early days in the company, recalling his training in Le Havre, France where he learned to operate a plastic bottle blow moulding machine.

He also trained in Rathkeale, County Limerick during his early career development.

Fred was joined at the celebration by his son Michael, who also works at Clóna Dairy, along with many friends and colleagues from across the various departments.

Everyone wished him a very happy and healthy retirement, with many commenting that Fred was a pleasure to work with.

The heartfelt presentation concluded with a rousing round of applause as Fred’s colleagues expressed their appreciation and best wishes for his next chapter.