Tag Archives: Irish Farmers Journal

This just in.

Would you like to milk the dole?

Via The Irish Farmers Journal:

The Irish Farmers Journal can exclusively reveal that a new programme is to target social welfare recipients to work on dairy farms.

­ This programme aims to address the labour shortage in the dairy sector and could see some participants earn up to €5,000 without affecting their current level of social welfare payments

With average dairy farm incomes predicted to reach €80,000 this year, the shortage of workers for expanding farms has hit crisis levels.

This initiative is aimed at people who are currently out of work, or are working part-time, or who are currently farming full-time but want to earn extra money.

This radical new plan is to be launched in mid-August – piloted in Waterford and Kilkenny initially. If successful, the programme will then be rolled out nationally in September.

­People who have no skills or experience of farm work will be trained up and placed on farms.

FIGHT!

€5,000 for dole workers to milk cows ( Catriona Morrissey, Irish Farmers Journal)

Thanks Jamie Leonard

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Further to an earlier post of a poem by Kevin Higgins.

Inspired by the Glenamaddy pastoral council in Galway providing a drive-thru service for Ash Wednesday.

The Farmers Journal writes:

The service ran from 8am to 9.30am for those commuting to work or bringing children to school. One of the people behind the initiative, Fr Paddy Mooney said the inaugural year of the Ash Wednesday drive-through was well attended.

“There was a big crowd around – we couldn’t get over it,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal. “We had everything from bikes to tractors. It was a busy day, and a fine day for it.

In pictures: Ash Wednesday drive-through (Irish Farmers Journal)

Earlier: And To Rust You Shall Return

Pics: Brian Farrell

Thanks Aisling Hussey

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‘sup?

Via ‘The Dealer‘

I received a note from Carmel Murphy at the weekend about her six-year-old niece Lexi who was recovering from a kidney and liver transplant in England.

Lexi is now almost two weeks over her operation and hopes to be back on her family’s beef farm in Co Waterford in no time

…Aunt Carmel explained that there was something that Lexi needed.

“My niece has just had a double transplant in Birmingham and her request after her operation was to have Lucozade, Hula Hoops and a copy of the Irish Farmers Journal.

“We, of course, granted her this wish. We would love to share this picture with you to let all your team know the great job they are doing and how this paper means something different to all generations and brings joy and conversation to the young and not so young in our family and I’m sure many more like us. We thank you most sincerely for this.”

In fairness.

Brave Lexi battles transplant with with a little help from Irish Farmers Journal (The Dealer, Irish Farmers Journal)

Thanks Aisling Hussey

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‘Sup?

Aisling Hussey, of Irish Farmers Journal, writes:

Our summer photo competition is back. After receiving a deluge of fantastic entries, we’ve selected eight photos from farms across the country…

Photos (from top): Ger O’Riordan; Sarah Armstrong; (Roisin Smith, Tiernan Walsh, Cormac Crowley, Jimmy and Daniel O’Donovan, Paraic Crowley, Michael Coughlan, Oran Smith and Rory Crowley); Jennifer Fitzsimons; Eamonn Mc Donagh; Alex Kilmurray; Paula Cook, of Seamus McGrath and his dog; and Margaret Lehane

Vote for your favourite photograph (by Tuesday, June 21) here

Previously: The Funny Farm

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The Beagle; a floppy-eared assassin

More hill lambs have been killed by the lone dog roaming commonage on Slieve Anieran, Co Leitrim, bringing the number killed to 50.

The animal, believed to be a beagle, has evaded organised searches by sheep farmers, unhappy at the toll on their 2015 lamb crop.

They have been helped by local gun clubs and experienced hunters. Local construction magnate Pat Gallagher, from near Aughnasheelin and owner of thriving Gallagher Group in the UK, gave the use of his helicopter. All efforts have failed….

Local county councillor Paddy O’Rourke (FF) says it’s time that State bodies got involved – perhaps the Air Corps.

“I have asked a number of agencies if they can help. €3,000 worth of lambs have been killed – that’s a significant loss for small farmers.”

Bad Dog On The Run In Leitrim (Irish farmers Journal)

farmersjournal

A podcast.

For Irish farming folk.

Dylan writes:

In the FIRST episode of the Irish Farmers Journal weekly podcast, news editor Pat O’Keeffe, dairy editor Jack Kennedy and agri-business editor Eoin Lowry discuss the future of the dairy industry as milk quotas become history; Thomas Hubert talks to US beef buyer Bruce Firnhaber; and Mairéad Lavery tells us why Maria Walsh is on the cover of Irish Country Living.

Listen here