Farm Week 2009

Programme 35: Friday September 4th

Programme 34: Friday August 28th

This edition of Farm Week tells the story of the farm workers who left North Cork in the hungry 1950's to settle in the harsh desert prairie land of southeast Oregan in the U S.

To this day ,in one small area east of the Cascades , there are families of Taylors, Flynns , Fitzgeralds, Quinlans and O'learys , all of whom originated from the barony of Duhallow.

Donna O'Sullivan talks to some of those who returned , about the hard life of these Irish cowboys.

The programme is produced and presented in the Cork studios by Donna O'Sullivan.

Programme 33: Friday August 21st

Programme 32: Friday August 14th

Programme 31: Friday August 7th

Programme 30: Friday July 31st

Dairy farmer Michael Murphy, who has interests in the US, south America and New Zealand

Says things are about to look up for dairy farmers..milk prices will rise in the coming months, and the recovery will be a lot faster that for the rest of the economy.

With the All Ireland Sheepdog Trials on over the week-end in south Tipperary, we meet Brian Casey and Tom O'Sullivan

two men really fond of their sheepdogs, for their skills and loyalties.

The programme is presented and produced in the cork studios , by Donna O'Sullivan.

Programme 29: Friday July 24th

Programme 28: Friday July 17th

Donna O'Sullivan talks to two farmers from North cork about the difficulties they're facing with the decision to end REPS 4,

And Christy Dorgan from Fermoy talks about his love of birds and the ancient art of collecting birds eggs.

Produced and presented , from the Cork studios by Donna O'Sullivan.

Programme 27: Friday July 10th

Farm Week this week visits the Galtee Bee Breeders breeding apiary at Glendarra wood in south Tippereary.

Programme 26: Friday July 3rd

Damien O Reilly visits the Third Age Foundation in Summerhill County Meath.

Programme 25: Friday June 26th

On Farmweek this week, a report from Mondays farm protest in Luxembourg. Dairy farmers held a demonstration outside the EU Farm Council meeting to highlight the fact that they are milking cows at a loss.

And we hear from Harry Rowntree about the old art of steam threshing. His family were steam threshers from Kingscourt in County Cavan.

Programme 25: Friday June 19th

On Farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly drops into see how preparations are going ahead of the Annual Hay making festival in Trim County Meath. And we hear more about the history of the famous Galway county show.

Programme 24: Friday June 12th

On farmweek this week wecatch up with silage contractors Peter Farrelly and Aidan Hand, busy at work in Navan and Shercock respectively. Donna O Sullivan visits the new Cat Hospital in County Cork. And Cornafean native Sean Masterson reads a poem he put together lamenting the days when there was not so much machinery involved in harvesting which was kinder to the environment.

Programme 23: Friday June 5th

On farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly is in Cornafean County Cavan to talk to three well known local men Sean Masterson, Eamon Maguire and Peader McSeain, all retired farmers and all with plenty to say about a whole range of issues and topics.

Programme 22: Friday May 29th

On farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly is at the Bloom Garden Festival in the Phoenix Park.

Programme 21: Friday May 22nd

On farmweek this week, we hear about the serious problems developing on farms due to the torrential rain of recent weeks. Damien O Reilly visits a farmer badly affected by the rain in County Meath. We look back at the BSE crises of 1996 with the Minister of the day Ivan Yates. And Katherine O Leary of the Farmers Journal tells us how she and her family are cutting back on the farm to deal with the recession.

Programme 20: Friday May 15th

On Farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly visits the Agricultural Show at Balmoral in Belfast. And Frances Shanahan reports from the horse trials at Badminton in England.

Programme 19: Friday May 8th

On farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly talks to the new President of Macra na Feirme Michael Gowing. Donna O Sullivan reports from the tractor show in Fermoy. And RTE Investigative reporter Philip Bouchier Hayes on the decision by Tesco to cut prices in stores along the border.

Programme 18: Friday May 1st

This week farm week went to Ballyhass Lakes in North Cork, where they are running a free course in fly fishing for people who have been made redundant.

Donna O'Sullivan met up with the course director Eddie McCarthy, and some enthusiastic new anglers.

Programme 17: Friday April 24th

In this weeks programme Donna O'Sullivan met with Clareman P J Kelly, who talked about the skill and art of water divining.

She also travelled to West Cork to the farm of Pat and Nora Casey who are in the business of rearing alpacas, with the hope of using the fleece as the basis of a local craft industry.

Programme 16: Friday April 17th

On Farmweek this week, Ella McSweeney explores the potential of wood for both farmers and non-farmers alike. Donna O'Sullivan meets some milk producers in Waterford, and Damien O'Reilly talks to Bill Kelly of Kelly's Hotel in Rosslare, Co. Wexford.

Programme 15: Friday April 10th

Programme 14: Friday April 3rd

On Farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly pays a visit to the mart in Roscrea County Tipperary where he meets farmers at the weekly sheep sale.

And Donna O Sullivan is in Conna East Cork at the yard or horse trainer Jimmy Mangan as he prepares his horse Himilayan Trail for this weekends Grand National at Aintree.

Programme 13: Friday March 27th

On Farmweek this week, the outgoing General Secretary of the IFA Michael Berkery talks to Damien O Reilly about his twenty five year career heading up the organisation and his hopes for the future of the farming sector in Ireland.

Programme 12: Friday March 20th

On Farmweek this week, we hear about the efforts of a North Kerry primary school to become kinder to the environment.

And we hear why the Feile Bia scheme in Irish pubs, hotels and restaurants is being discontinued.

Programme 11: Friday March 13th

On farmweek this week, Sean Scully Chairman of the ICSA Beef committee talks about why beef producers are not getting a fair price for their produce.

Damien O Reilly reports on the success story that is Cooley Whiskey Distillery which was recently named at the World Whiskey Distillery of the Year.

And we visit Henry Burns busy sheep farm in the middle of the lambing season in County Laois.

Programme 10: Friday March 6th

On the programme this week, Damien O Reilly pays another visit to see horse trainer Oliver Brady in Bawn, Ballybay, County Monaghan.

Oliver is heading to Cheltenham next week with his horse Ebadiyan which he calims to be the best horse he has ever taken to the Cotswolds.

Damien chats with Oliver and RTEs Colm Murray about the upcoming festival while Oliver also talks about his continuing battle against cancer, something he says he doesnt think about. He just gets on with life!!

Programme 9: February 27th 2009

On farmweek this week, the crises facing dairy farming in Ireland. Farmers are looking at the prospect of milking cows at a loss this year. Damien O Reilly visits the farm of Tommy Cooke in County Tipperary to find out more.(see photo).

And Donna O Sullivan visits a farm at Shanagolden in County Limerick to find out how bad potholes at the farmgate of a local farmer is causing him untold hardship.

Programme 8: February 20th 2009

On Farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly spends a morning farming with actress Mary McEvoy on her drystock farm in Delvin County Westmeath.

Programme 7: February 13th 2009

On farmweek this week Damien O Reilly talks to pig farmer Ollie Leddy in County Cavan. He finds out how his farm is recovering after the December pork dioxin scare.

The state of secondary and rural roads. David Wilkinson Chairman of the IFA Countryside committee highlights the deteriorating state of some rural roads.

And the Minister for Environment and Green Party leader John Gormley on the relationship between his party and Irish farmers.

Programme 6: February 6th 2009

On farmweek this week, Damien O Reilly is joined in studio by Philip Farrelly (Farrelly and Mitchell Agri Consultants), Paul McCarthy of Teagasc and Peter Young of the Farmers Journal. They discuss the effects of the economic crises on farming and how farmers can diversify to make more money.

Programme 5: January 30th/31st 2009

This week Donna O'Sullivan travels to South Kerry to meet up with two women , Breeda Lynch and Rita Foley, who farm way up in the mountains there.

Programme 4: January 23rd/24th 2009

On Farm Week this week , the winning team from the Young Scientists Exhibition Alan McCarthy and John D. O'Callaghan, from Kinsale co. Cork talk to Donna O'Sullivan , ,about their project and their love of life on the land. And she visits Jim Costelloe who is in the unusual business of farming foliage on the shores of Tralee Bay for the export market.

Programme 3: January 16th/17th 2009

This week Donna O'Sullivan visits a farm with a difference.
It's the Nano Nagle Centre organic farm in North Cork , which is run by the Presentation Sisters.As well as meeting with Sr. Paula Buckley, we tour the land with farm manager Kitty Scully, and catch up with the man who ensures the eggs are washed and sanded clean every day , before they reach the breakfast table.

Programme 2: 9th January 2009

In this weeks edition Donna O'Sullivan visits the farm of Tom McGillycuddy in Kilorglin , Co.Kerry. Tom is one of the contestants in the TG4 programme Feirm Factor , which goes out on Thursdays at 9.30. And we also hear from Minister of State for Labour Affairs Billy Kelleher about the need for better safety habits on Irish farms.

Programme 1: 2nd January 2009

In a repeat of a programme first broadcast last March, Damien O Reilly meets County Kilkenny farming brothers John and Jimmy Staunton from County Kilkenny. The programme proved a big hit with listeners at the time.