#Farming Columns

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#Farming Columns

The latest opinion and analysis from the Irish Examiner's farming section.

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Becky Hynes with Reserve Supreme dairy Rathard Chocochip Kali, Ricky and Julie Barrett with Supreme Dairy Champion Laurelelm Slick Brilliant and dairy judge Stephen Shannon at Cork Summer Show over the weekend.</p>

farming

Paula Hynes: Special K with a hint of Chocochip at the Cork Summer Show

Last weekend's Cork Summer Show was a great success for Paula Hynes and her 'special K Club' which she hopes to continues in the Royal Highland Agricultural Show in Edinburgh

<p>Even though we did not have the best relationship in the world, I am shocked my husband only left me €1,000.</p>

farming

Ask a solicitor: What happens when your spouse leaves you out of the will?

<p>I am fuming as I worked very hard to get it done quickly and I had to pay an employee to help me with the build over the summer months. File picture</p>

farming

Ask a solicitor: The amount I've been offered won't even cover my building materials

Dairy cows eating silage from a trough early morning, United Kingdom

farming

Scientists accuse Ireland and New Zealand of methane ‘accounting trick’

Men's Accessories. Elegant men's shoes.

farming

Auld Lehane is looking forward to the wedding of the year in Venice

Full frame image of fresh green grass shoots from sown seed, rejuvenated, damp and muddy green grass, Summer lawn maintenance, f

farming

Brian Reidy: Is it time to think of reseeding your ground?

Paula Hynes: Emilie is not in Paris, but Aherla instead

Paula Hynes: Emilie is not in Paris, but Aherla instead

As French student Emilie settles into our farming life, Paula welcomes more arrivals to prep the show team for West Cork's main show for dairy stock, the Clonakilty Show

Thu, 12 Jun, 2025

Soil checking

From the stars to the soil... agtech taking inspiration from Nasa

With global fertiliser use costing farmers up to €200bn a year, excess fertiliser is an expensive mistake

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Cowboy hat guitar and boots in barn, country music festival live concert or rodeo background

Lighten up: Rock and rolling in West Cork

Summer in West Cork is unbeatable and you simply 'gotta roll with it', writes our Denis in this week's 'Lighten up'

Sat, 07 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: I greet my guests with a 'Welcome to Fawlty Towers' sign

Paula Hynes: I greet my guests with a 'Welcome to Fawlty Towers' sign

Last week may have been a bank holiday weekend, but with so many shows on the horizon, Paula's been busy catching up and keeping ahead with farm chores ahead of her visitors arriving

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

Trained espalier peach fruit tree as a living edible fence in the countryside for higher productivity and using in limited space

New hedge must be planted before old one removed, farmers told

A hedge is defined by the Department as a line of shrubs and/or trees, maintained to form a barrier for controlling animals or marking land boundaries

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

No trespassing private property sign on a fence

Ask a solicitor: Should I be worried about trespassers on my land?

Trespassers are a significant worry for many landowners, writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh.

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

US Premiere of "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (Red Carpet)

Denis Lehane: Dreams of Tom Cruise at Cork Summer Show

Our Denis reckons he's just like Tom Cruise, except for the fancy molars, in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 02 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: Water is the source of life, and essential for farms

Paula Hynes: Water is the source of life, and essential for farms

A cow will drink anything from 30 to 120 litres of water a day, so as you can imagine availability is key for successful farming, writes Farming columnist and Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 30 May, 2025

Kieran Coughlan: The numbers stacked up for solar success... even without Tams

Kieran Coughlan: The numbers stacked up for solar success... even without Tams

Confusion over whether farmers who availed of a Tams grant were entitled to get paid for exporting to the grid led to farming columnist and rural tax adviser Kieran Coughlan going his own way to install solar PV

Mon, 26 May, 2025

Roof

Ask a solicitor: A contractor fell off a ladder on my farm

While, in most cases, it would be perfectly clear whether a person is an employee, this is not always so, writes solicitor Karen Walsh.

Mon, 26 May, 2025

"The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical" World Premiere - VIP Arrivals

Lighten Up: Liz Hurley falls for the cowboy and that's great news for farmers

It's no wonder Liz Hurley fell for a cowboy; the only surprise is that more movie starlets aren't following suit, writes our Denis in this week's 'Lighten Up'

Sun, 25 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Wrapping It Pink for breast cancer

Paula Hynes: Wrapping It Pink for breast cancer

If you are driving around the countryside and see pink bales in a field, stop and take a photo and use #WrapItPink to share the message on social media, urges Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 23 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Hair cuts and grass cuts on the farm

Paula Hynes: Hair cuts and grass cuts on the farm

Once the rain does arrive, there should be a good surge in grass growth as soil temperatures are high, but while we long for some rainy days, hopefully there will be some fine weather ahead still for the summer

Wed, 21 May, 2025

Black and white dairy cow grazing contentedly relaxed and happy while other cows graze behind. Methane and greenhouse gases a bi

Brian Reidy: Are you getting optimum animal performance from grass right now?

Dairy herds in many areas have seen marked declines in milk yield well beyond normal yield curve reductions, writes independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Wed, 21 May, 2025

Manual Worker in his Van

Ask a solicitor: My farm manager is using the work van for personal use. Can I sack him?

Termination is an extremely contentious area, and one which an employer should take great care in handling, writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 19 May, 2025

Men's legs in jeans shod in classic brown Oxford shoes

Lighten Up: Eurovision and my 'feet of flames' at Bandon Mart

What hope would I have had on the dancefloor with Jean Butler when I couldn't even conduct a few bull weanlings around a ring, writes Denis Lehane

Sun, 18 May, 2025

Businessmen and real estate agents discussing documents signing a legal purchase of a house.

Farm Finance: Is the review of Agricultural Relief only skin deep?

The phenomenon of non-farming persons buying up land for tax purposes as a means of passing on wealth has become more than just an anecdote

Tue, 13 May, 2025

Vatican Holds Conclave To Elect New Pope

Lighten Up: From Cahirmee to the Conclave, choosing a new Pope is no joke

While I've no doubt the man chosen in the finish will make an excellent pope, he wasn't the fellow I had backed, writes Denis Lehane in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 12 May, 2025

Aerial view of the solar panel in solar farm in evening sun light.

Ask a solicitor: Should I sign an exclusivity agreement with a solar company?

An exclusivity agreement is one made between a developer and a landowner, in which the landowner agrees to give the developer the right to apply for grid connection and carry out feasibility studies, advises solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 12 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: From AI to DIY - It’s all go on the farm in Aherla

Paula Hynes: From AI to DIY - It’s all go on the farm in Aherla

The farm always requires some routine maintenance, and the summer months are a chance to tackle some of these jobs, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Mon, 12 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Looking at the world from the outside in

Paula Hynes: Looking at the world from the outside in

Five months without a day off is ridiculous, but that is it takes to keep a farm running and produce food, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 09 May, 2025

Shot of a senior man sitting alone and using his laptop to calculate his finances at home

Ask a solicitor: Are online will-making services a good idea?

When considering whether or not someone was of unsound mind, the relevant time is that of the making of the will

Mon, 05 May, 2025

Lighten Up: No more Mickey Mouse farming

Lighten Up: No more Mickey Mouse farming

Our Denis thinks throwing a bid on Disney's west Cork retreat, could be a good punt for any local beef farmer.

Sat, 03 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: The ultimate 'sister act' at Emerald Expo

Paula Hynes: The ultimate 'sister act' at Emerald Expo

Life often gives us personal memories at shows, seeing Georgie and Becky as sisters showing sisters Kali and Kasey to win champion and reserve champion colourbreed was special, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Mon, 28 Apr, 2025

Architect surveying a new building plot

Building without planning permission - what are the risks?

Failure to comply with an enforcement notice within the specified time can result in a criminal prosecution and the imposition of a penalty, warns rural solicitor Karen Walsh.

Mon, 28 Apr, 2025

Two Calves in Field

Creep feeding for suckler calves — how can it fit into your system?

Creep feeding in the suckler herd should ideally commence when calves require additional energy to maintain target weight gains beyond the energy consumed from milk and grass

Thu, 24 Apr, 2025

Feeding time

Farm View: With Bovaer, scientific promise meets public scepticism

Despite its huge potential to reduce agricultural methane emissions, public trust in the product has been seriously dented after wild conspiracy theories were left to spread unchecked for several weeks

Thu, 24 Apr, 2025

land for sale sign in grassy lot

A solicitor's tips for a smooth land sale

A common cause of delay in such transactions is when life insurance and fire insurance have not been put in place in time, warns rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 21 Apr, 2025

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC-AWARD-MTV-SHOW

Lighten Up: Katy Perry kissed my Massey and she liked it

Our auld Lehane reckons he could teach Katy a thing or two about farming in space, in this week's Lighten Up.

Sat, 19 Apr, 2025

Row of brown cows staring over a wall

Brian Reidy: Selecting replacement heifers for the suckler herd

Breeding heifers at a younger age and at lighter weights yields a calf and return on investment earlier than waiting to breed until the heifer is heavier and older, but may require more careful management at calving, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Fri, 18 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: A Kenyan road trip down memory lane

Paula Hynes: A Kenyan road trip down memory lane

Some of you may have seen Paula on the 'Hardest Harvest' on RTÉ, where she visited Kenya and lived with a Maasai community for three weeks, but what most of you won’t know is that she returned to Kenya a year later.

Thu, 17 Apr, 2025

Detail of tractor sprayer.

Can anything be done to halt glyphosate resistance once it has started?

The reliance on glyphosate as the sole herbicide led to the emergence of over 17 glyphosate-resistant weed species, including Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, and giant ragweed

Wed, 16 Apr, 2025

Ahead of the herd

Getting the correct balance at grass

Remember as we approach the breeding season, low protein in your herd's milk is an indication of a negative energy and will lead to low conception rates, warns ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Tue, 15 Apr, 2025

Divorce agreement and wedding rings

I'm worried my husband won't declare all of his assets during divorce

Withholding information on assets during a divorce can have serious consequences, warns rural solicitor Karen Walsh.

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Farm Finance: Taking stock of high stock prices - will buying now pay off?

Farm Finance: Taking stock of high stock prices - will buying now pay off?

There can be some unintended consequences of higher stock prices, writes rural accountant and tax adviser Kieran Coughlan

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: The weather has been a-maize-ing

Paula Hynes: The weather has been a-maize-ing

A first for the farm this week was growing maize; we purchased maize from our contractor Niall Canty last autumn

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Lighten Up: Heading to Gigginstown to replace 'Fertile Paddy'

Lighten Up: Heading to Gigginstown to replace 'Fertile Paddy'

The glory days of 'Fertile Paddy' are like the days of Harp, the Ford 3000 and Sally O'Brien, says our Denis, who wants to buy his new stock bull at the Gigginstown sale.

Fri, 11 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: Tough decisions and why less is more

Paula Hynes: Tough decisions and why less is more

After what has been another week of glorious sunshine, we had 5mm of rain on Friday night, which was very welcome as the forecast for the week ahead is superb again.

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Farmer and Dollar

Lighten Up: The 'mart' of money and auld Lehane's concern

Denis is worried about the price his cattle will make in the mart... but not for the reasons you might think

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

URUGUAY-MERCOSUR-SUMMIT

Farm View: US tariff war could make Mercosur's threat look mild

President Trump had made his intention clear to punish Europe with new tariffs, claiming that the EU has long taken advantage of the US.

Wed, 02 Apr, 2025

Unhappy young couple

Ask a solicitor: We're separated but stuck together because of housing

Housing shortages mean it is much more common for couples who have ended their relationship to be stuck in the same home

Mon, 31 Mar, 2025

Paula Hynes: A visit to CUH with Becky

Paula Hynes: A visit to CUH with Becky

This week has been so hectic keeping the farm running.

Mon, 31 Mar, 2025

Astronaut sitting on the moon reading newspaper.

Denis Lehane: On the farm with Suni and Butch

Two astronauts join Denis on the farm, in this week's Lighten Up.

Mon, 31 Mar, 2025

tools for artificial insemination of cow.

Feeding for breeding: A checklist to evaluate your herd

The feeding of dairy cows at grass has a huge bearing on subsequent herd fertility, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Wed, 26 Mar, 2025