Tag Archives: National Ploughing Championships

This year, Red Cross First Aid day, will focus on how knowledge of first aid is so important in rural areas.The Irish Red Cross has developed a Farm First Aid course which will be launched by the Minister of Agriculture Minister Creed at the National Ploughing Championships on Wednesday. Over the past yea,r there have been an increasing number of accidents that have resulted in farming injuries and deaths, this coupled with the understandable ambulance response times in rural areas, leaves members of the public in rural areas vulnerable. According to the Health and Safety Authority Annual report for 2016, 44 people were killed in workplaces in 2016, a 21% reduction of the 56 reported in 2015. However the number of deaths on farms, increased with 21 reported in 2016 compared to 18 in 2015. Lisa Harrington, first aid training manager with the Irish Red Cross, said, “When you are able to treat an injury quickly, the severity can be …

Monreel’s Gerry Mullins was presented with a silver medal in Portlaoise at the weekend, after coming second in the National Loy Digging Competition, held at The National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, County Laois last month. Tom Kennedy from Ennistymon also took part in the competition, securing fourth place overall. Gerry’s performance had earned him enough points in his national debut to win the competition but he was penalised for breaking a rule. Loy Association of Ireland special advisor, Tom Egan explained. “Gerry would have come first but for he was penalised. He received a 10-point penalty because he broke rule number two. When you are digging, you put down lines to nick the soil, then when you are finished, you lift the line and roll it up but Gerry must have forgotten that and left it down,” he said. It is not something Gerry will forget again. “I won it, sure I had the highest score,” Gerry said. “I had …

Scariff Foróige Club has been chosen as one of four youth clubs across the country that will work with Diarmuid Gavin to design and create a garden, based on the theme of time travel, at the National Ploughing Championships. The enterprising youth club supports young people from Tulla, Feakle, Tuamgraney, Bodyke, Scariff and Mountshannon. Nine Foróige members, with youth leaders, parents and local flower expert Martina O’Brien, will travel to Rathaniskha this weekend to build the garden and have it ready for viewing from Tuesday next. Speaking to The Clare Champion, youth leader Tracy Doyle said the nine young people are “thrilled” to be working on the special garden and competing against the other three youth clubs. In May 2014, the youths, who are all aged between 12 and 17, were offered a small piece of publicly-owned land at the Connaught Road housing estate by residents to plant and develop. Tracy said the youth club members were in the process …

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) campaign threatening to withdraw from the Quality Assurance Scheme has met with a phenomenal response at the National Ploughing Championships in County Laois this week. “Since our stand opened on Tuesday morning, there has been a constant stream of farmers coming in to sign up,” said organisation president, Patrick Kent. “The anger out there is palpable among beef farmers, and this was reflected in the frank exchange of views with Minister Simon Coveney at the ICSA stand. ICSA again outlined the urgent need for a regulator for the meat industry. Farmers who came in to commit to withdrawal from the Quality Assurance Scheme were also hugely supportive of ICSA’s call for such a regulator,” he continued. Mr Kent stressed farmers want to see a successful beef export business and are committed to the highest standards. “ICSA believes it is not too late to pull back from this campaign if there are meaningful …

Members of the farming community need to talk about their personal problems and difficulties, the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) has advised. The IACP, which is participating at this week’s National Ploughing in County Laois has pointed to research that it had commissioned in 2012, which found that almost one in three members (28%) of the farming community don’t tell anyone about their personal problems and difficulties. The same IACP survey also showed that 86% of farmers have never attended a counsellor or a psychotherapist and that one in five members of the farming community would feel embarrassed if people knew they were attending a counsellor or psychotherapist. Shane Kelly, professional services manager, the IACP said,”Life in rural areas can be lonely, but if you’re feeling low or experiencing difficulties, it’s important to know that there is help out there. Our theme at this year’s ploughing championships is ‘it’s good to talk’. We feel that it’s vital for …