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FARMING - COLUMNS

A collection of the latest columns, analysis and opinion from the farming desk. Enjoy.

Brian Reidy

Hazell Mullins, Vet on the Moove

Kieran Coughlan, Farm Finance

Paula Hynes, Hoofing It

<p>Little Pat, the premature Angus calf born on the Hynes farm</p>

farming

Paula Hynes: You win some, and lose some

Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes shares her thoughts on resilience in the yard as she reflects on twelve years TB-free and a calf that defied the odds

<p>While on the farm, Brad Pitt learned all about the driving skills associated with loading and unloading a cock lifter.</p>

farming

Lighten Up: It's a wrap (a silage wrap) for Brad Pitt in West Cork

<p>Weanlings grazing on Redstart on Kay O'Sullivan's farm in Mourneabbey, Cork.</p>

farming

Signpost: Grazing redstart on Kay's organic farm

Brian Reidy: Act fast with any calving, cow and calf issues

Real estate agent giving the keys

farming

Ask a solicitor: Joint tenancy vs tenancy in common for unmarried couples in Ireland

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

farming

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

Bord Bia

Paula Hynes: There's no point in discrediting our national storyteller

If Brazilian farmers were anything like Ryanair, they would be thriving on the amount of coverage their beef is getting in Ireland, from the perspective that there is no such thing as bad news, writes Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Neustadt in Holstein, Germany - August 4, 2019, European Folklore Festival

Lighten Up: Only Michael Flatley can save us from the rain

Our Auld Lehane says he is struggling hard to remember a time in rural Ireland when we didn't have rain, as he reflects on a month of endless rain in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

feedlot intensive production system beef cattle

The week everyone missed: TB, CAP reform and Mercosur moves on

The EU-Mercosur agreement edged forward. MEPs approved enhanced safeguard mechanisms allowing tariff preferences on sensitive agricultural imports to be suspended if volumes rise 5% above a three-year average and prices fall 5% below EU equivalents.

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Paula Hynes: Traceability and a record-breaking DNA programme make Irish agri-food stand out

Paula Hynes: Traceability and a record-breaking DNA programme make Irish agri-food stand out

There is so much talk about food traceability at the moment, and Ireland really is a step ahead when it comes to the traceability of cattle, as we will most likely be the first country in the world to have a fully DNA-tested national herd

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Roses, two glasses of red wine and candles on desk

Auld Lehane's advice for frugal farmers on Valentine's Day

Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but they are no friend of mine, writes our Auld Lehane, as he gives his top tips ahead of Valentine's Day

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Dancing shoes of young couple dance retro jazz swing dances on a ballroom club wooden floor, close up view of shoes, female and

The Beckham wedding... Finally, auld Lehane discloses what he saw that night

Denis Lehane follows Brooklyn Beckham's Insta post with his own bombshell revelations about THAT first dance — but it's not what you might expect. Of course, it's this week's Lighten Up

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Bricklayer laying another brick in the wall on construction site for sturdy wall

Ask a solicitor: Is it worth it to risk building a home on family land without title?

The fact planning permission was obtained with your aunt’s cooperation does not, in itself, give rise to ownership rights. However, that does not necessarily mean that you have no legal protection

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

manure robot inside farm full of spotted milk cows in holland

Brian Reidy: Why feed space, water, and cubicles matter for early lactation

As a rule of thumb, if cows spend more than a minute standing on a cubicle undisturbed without lying down, they are unhappy with the cubicle design, warns independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Cows in a fresh grassy field on a clear day

Kieran Coughlan: Cashflow pinch is on its way

With ground conditions currently saturated, the chances of getting cows out to grass early in lactation remain slim, writes dairy farmer and rural tax specialist Kieran Coughlan

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Rachel Martin: Bord Bia row is no longer about beef — it’s about who agri policy is for

Rachel Martin: Bord Bia row is no longer about beef — it’s about who agri policy is for

At the risk of sounding like Shania Twain, little about the Bord Bia and Larry Murrin controversy has impressed me much this week. As things stand, Mr Murrin is due to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture in the coming days.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

A farmer holding a handful of freshly cut silage, showing the texture and quality of the forage used for livestock feed. Capture

Brian Reidy: Why dry matter intake is key to early lactation performance

Maintaining fresh-cow dry matter intake is one of the secrets to keeping cows healthy and productive throughout lactation, writes independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Moines House

Ask a solicitor: Turning a derelict farmhouse into a home — how the vacant property grant applies

To qualify, the property must have been vacant for a minimum of two years immediately prior to the grant application

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Rachel Martin: Standards must come top down

Rachel Martin: Standards must come top down

I used to think it would be a bad job to be caught in a supermarket with a trolley full of produce that didn’t align with what I wrote about for a living.

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

Paula Hynes: What advice would I give a 20-year-old wanting to farm?

Paula Hynes: What advice would I give a 20-year-old wanting to farm?

It's been a truly international week for Paula and the gang on the farm in Aherla — and beyond

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Portrait of an agronomist with a tablet in front of the agricultural machine

Ask a solicitor: My job is changing – and I'm worried what is coming

A genuine redundancy must be based on the role being eliminated, not the person, writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 26 Jan, 2026

Paula Hynes: Celebrating a calf poo

Paula Hynes: Celebrating a calf poo

There is a saying in farming that where there is livestock, there is dead stock. Sometimes animals die, and we as farmers feel they shouldn’t have, but when we come across an animal like little Pat, which is fighting to survive, we give it our best shot and give it all the help in the world.

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Man looking at beef steak in supermarket aisle

Mercosur: A 1.5% oversupply that could cost Irish beef hundreds of millions

The EU consumer wants cheaper food. It is a misnomer to think consumers are broadly willing to pay a premium for food produced under higher standards, writes rural accountant Kieran Coughlan

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

The Statue of Liberty over the Scene of New york cityscape river side which location is lower manhattan,Architecture and buildin

Lighten Up: Auld Lehane... On the ground in New York City

New York... it's like Macroom on a fair day, only multiplied by 10, writes our Auld Lehane from the 'Big Apple'

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Man Signing Last Will & Testament

S Ask a solicitor: The biggest mistakes people make when drafting a will

Starting the process is often the hardest step, writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Woman injecting semaglutide in her abdomen

Stephen Cadogan: A slimmer appetite but better food – the challenge for agri-food

The significant rise in the number of consumers using weight-loss drugs has implications for Ireland's food industry as users' appetites for previously loved foods changes

Wed, 07 Jan, 2026

Paula Hynes: Snowy roads, new calves and the on farm challenge

Paula Hynes: Snowy roads, new calves and the on farm challenge

Danske Bank are the main sponsors of the RUAS Winter Fair, so when livestock classes were cancelled at the show due to the bluetongue outbreak in Northern Ireland, it was fantastic to see them step up for the on farm challenge, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Retired man looking at cattle grazing in a field

Ask a solicitor: No will, no spouse, no children — who inherits the farm?

In intestacy, the estate is distributed in a fixed order, depending on which relatives are alive at the time of death, writes solicitor Karen Walsh.

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026

Close-Up Of Text On Table

Kieran Coughlan: Are you ready for auto-enrolment? Key steps for agri-food employers

Auto-enrolment is a new scheme designed to ensure that most employees who do not currently have access to an employer pension scheme will be contributing toward their own personal pension fund, writes rural tax adviser Kieran Coughlan

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

Young woman's first day working at a burger restaurant

Stephen Cadogan: Can wild venison really threaten the beef market?

Wild venison has replaced beef at several stadiums and event spaces in the UK and Ireland — but what does it mean for the beef market?

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

Yorkshire Farm

Ask a solicitor: I was promised the farm, but it was left to someone else

When a person has committed years of their life to caring for property in reliance on assurances given to them, it feels deeply unjust to be left without security, writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

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