Con Lehane farms Ballinagree north east of Macroom, Co Cork and more than 100 gathered to hear of his experience.

Lehane is involved in the Teagasc heavy soils program and he carried out drainage to the value of €5,500 on a field 110 metres wide and 150 metres long.

Drains around the perimeter were cleaned and deepened to two metres and then internal drains across the field were installed every 20 metres to a depth of 1.7 metres.

A series of 80 mm corrugated drainage pipes were installed on a bed of stone and covered by 0.3m of stone. Con’s farm is located between 500 and 1,000 feet above sea level in an area of heavy rainfall (about 1,600mm annually). Con and his father Neilus milk 100 cows at present.

They plan to grow the herd to 150 cows and feed them by growing more grass and ensuring fields are drained so they can utilise grass better.

See full report in the Irish Farmers Journal next week.