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Support for rural housing rings hollow as planning continues to thwart families
Jacqueline Hogge
A new eight-week series on building a house in rural Ireland begins with Irish Country Living looking at all the factors that farming families need to consider when planning a home.
 
 
Weekend weather: dry but cool few days in store
Weekend weather: dry but cool few days in store
Met Éireann forecasts clear weather over the weekend, but with no significant uplift in temperatures.
New vet courses at ATU and SETU poised for September 2026 starts
New vet courses at ATU and SETU poised for September 2026 starts
While ATU aimed to have the programme up and running this September, SETU had always planned for a September 2026 start.
CycleØ progressing with €100m investment plans in Ireland SPONSORED
CycleØ progressing with €100m investment plans in Ireland
CycleØ Group, the leading end-to-end biomethane platform that builds, owns and operates plants in Europe confirms that its investment plans are progressing, with sites planned in Limerick and Kildare.
Sheep mart prices: agents more keen for hoggets
Sheep mart prices: agents more keen for hoggets
Mart managers report agents exhibiting greater bite for hoggets as the week progresses, with prices steadying and firming by in cases by €1 to €3/head.
Martbids Database: farmers and exporters clash in battle for cattle
Martbids Database: farmers and exporters clash in battle for cattle
Adam Woods has the latest on this week’s mart trade, including what’s happening in the country’s marts.
Camera at the Mart: light bulls average over €4/kg in Balla
Camera at the Mart: light bulls average over €4/kg in Balla
Heifer weanlings were mostly sought by farmer buyers, while exporters were most active around the bull weanling ring in Balla on Tuesday night last.
PODCASTS
ICMSA wants ‘real action’ from deer management strategy manager
ICMSA wants ‘real action’ from deer management strategy manager
The call was made by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association on the back of the awarding of the tender for deer management strategy programme manager to Farm Relief Services.
Marginal drop in milk intake last year
Marginal drop in milk intake last year
Overall in 2024, milk intake by processors and co-ops was 8.43bn litres, representing a small decrease of 30.6m litres or 0.4%.
Land purchase considerations: key factors for farmers SPONSORED
Land purchase considerations: key factors for farmers
The nature of farming like any business, is that farmers are continually investing in their farms, land, infrastructure, buildings, stock and machinery to improve on-farm efficiencies or productivity
Beef management notes: slurry, fertiliser and cattle grading
Beef management notes: slurry, fertiliser and cattle grading
Adam Woods takes a look at some tips and advice for drystock farms in this week's beef management notes.
Three cases of bird flu reported in 2025
Three cases of bird flu reported in 2025
Analysis of World Organisation for Animal Health data has shown that there have been three cases of avian flu reported in wild birds so far this year.
Limousin society to remove Euro-star indices from all animals in herd book
Limousin society to remove Euro-star indices from all animals in herd book
The Irish Limousin Cattle Society has taken a massive decision to request the removal of ICBF genetic evaluations of all animals registered in its herd book.
Aberdeen Angus lead the way at the first weekend of Stirling bull sales
Aberdeen Angus lead the way at the first weekend of Stirling bull sales
Nevan McKiernan reports on the Stirling bull sales held at United Auctions in Scotland.
Getting through the first SBLAS audit SPONSORED
Getting through the first SBLAS audit
Damien Murray, Origin Green Producer Liaison & Standard Co-Coordinator gives a step by step guide for new suckler members of SBLAS facing their first audit.
CycleØ progressing with €100m investment plans in Ireland SPONSORED
CycleØ progressing with €100m investment plans in Ireland
CycleØ Group, the leading end-to-end biomethane platform that builds, owns and operates plants in Europe confirms that its investment plans are progressing, with sites planned in Limerick and Kildare.
Lamlac’s efficiency and consistency saluted by Waterford lamb farmerSPONSORED
Lamlac’s efficiency and consistency saluted by Waterford lamb farmer
Jamie Kiely, who rears approximately 40 to 50 pet lambs annually on the family holding at Ballycoe Farm, north of Dungarvan, Co Waterford, is delighted with the efficacy of Lamlac.
Dairy farmer salutes quality and reliability of Triple AAA Golden MaverickSPONSORED
Dairy farmer salutes quality and reliability of Triple AAA Golden Maverick
A County Limerick dairy farmer, now in his fifth year feeding AAA Golden Maverick to his calves, is delighted with the quality and consistency the product is providing.
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China’s beef imports increased again in 2024
China’s beef imports increased again in 2024
The rate of China’s beef imports increase has slowed down in recent years, but still increased in 2024, while pork and sheepmeat imports fell.
The success of Kerry Group should be celebrated
The success of Kerry Group should be celebrated
It's now up to the next generation of farmers to see if they can repeat the growth with their new co-op.
Co Kerry gets the lion’s share of Kerry Group bonanza
Co Kerry gets the lion’s share of Kerry Group bonanza
More than €1 billion of Kerry Group shares heading for the Kingdom.
Is Listowel the richest little town in Ireland?
Is Listowel the richest little town in Ireland?
Listowel, the birthplace of Kerry, has done very well from the share distribution
Amazone expands Cenio cultivator range with 4m folding model
Amazone expands Cenio cultivator range with 4m folding model
Amazone has expanded its Cenio cultivator range with the addition of a new 4000-2 4m folding model.
Vervaet updates Q beet harvester
Vervaet updates Q beet harvester
Vervaet is introducing an updated version of the Vervaet Q-616 beet harvester with a new cab, a range of technical improvements, updated styling and numerous new options.
Farm succession challenge is a factor in land prices
Farm succession challenge is a factor in land prices
Farm succession continues to be a pressing issue for Irish agriculture – with implications for land prices, writes Sarah McIntosh.
Donegal prices dip with fewer stand-out farms
Donegal prices dip with fewer stand-out farms
Good land is fetching €7,000/ac to €14,000/ac - plain land is making less.
New land leases for 2024
New land leases for 2024
Check out which counties paid the most and the least for long-term land leases in 2024, writes Noel Bardon.
Reader question: powering my farm with a generator
Reader question: powering my farm with a generator
Martin Merrick details what to look for when it comes to generators for both dairy and drystock farms, and the grants available.
BISS fines loom on CAP peatland rules
BISS fines loom on CAP peatland rules
It is thought that as many as 32,000 farmers are to be impacted by the new GAEC 2 rules.
Call for change to the methane counting system
Call for change to the methane counting system
Carbon Removals Action Group called on the Government to use both the current GWP100 accounting system in parallel to GWP*.
Green light for Bord na Móna’s 18 wind turbines on Oweninny bog
Green light for Bord na Móna’s 18 wind turbines on Oweninny bog
The wind farm will be the third stage of development on the Oweninny bog and will replace an older 21-turbine wind farm built in 1992.
County-by-county renewable targets on the way
County-by-county renewable targets on the way
There are set to be big changes to County Council’s local development plans with new, local targets coming writes Stephen Robb
Storm Éowyn flattened €700m worth of timber
Storm Éowyn flattened €700m worth of timber
The amount of timber damaged and on the ground is around three times the volume processed each year by the Irish saw milling industry.
High voltage lines within 5m of forestry in ‘many cases’, Dáil hears
High voltage lines within 5m of forestry in ‘many cases’, Dáil hears
A Sligo-Leitrim TD has raised the issue of forestry plantations being close to power lines during a Dáil debate.
News round-up from Northern Ireland
News round-up from Northern Ireland
Weekly round-up of news from the farming industry in Northern Ireland.
Northern View: cattle quotes leap another 20p/kg
Northern View: cattle quotes leap another 20p/kg
The cattle trade in NI continues to drive on, with much higher quotes available.
Life
Support for rural housing rings hollow as planning continues to thwart families
A new eight-week series on building a house in rural Ireland begins with Irish Country Living looking at all the factors that farming families need to consider when planning a home.
Pair of compact Connacht holdings ‘ideal opportunity for young farmer’
Pair of compact Connacht holdings ‘ideal opportunity for young farmer’
APP Kirrane Auctioneering have a pair of similar sized holdings on the market in the border area shared by Mayo and Roscommon.
‘This is my All-Ireland final, being a proud Tipp artist’
‘This is my All-Ireland final, being a proud Tipp artist’
Camán to this comedic one-man show where Cathal Ryan brings hurling and drama together.
‘The sight of those bright yellow ESB vans pulling into the drive was wonderful'
‘The sight of those bright yellow ESB vans pulling into the drive was wonderful'
After storm Éowyn, communities came together, neighbours helped neighbours and the ESB came to our rescue.
Going, going, gone – find a career under the hammer
Going, going, gone – find a career under the hammer
Auctioneers play a major role in the agricultural sector in rural Ireland, and there are many different pathways into this vital career, writes Sarah McIntosh.