In many ways, Monday night’s nitrates meeting in Corrin was like a mass meeting of old.

Tailbacks on the approach roads, flashing beacons on the tractors and packed car parks and arenas added to the adrenaline of the night.

It’s a long time since so many dairy farmers, both young and old, turned out in force for a single item agenda.

It reminded me of the atmosphere at the beef crisis meeting in Goffs in 2000.

It proves the importance of the issue, but also the enduring pulling power of the IFA.

Ironically, the meeting took place on the same week that the IFA pay scandal broke 10 years ago.

Monday’s meeting had unity, with speakers from Macra, meat factories, milk processors and ICOS all on message.

There was strength in the numbers that attended with full buses and cars travelling from all over Ireland.

Plus, seeing all the co-op and agribusiness CEOs in the crowd was powerful. The outcome on delivery will have to wait for another day but there’s no doubt that Minister Heydon took home the message that anything other than full retention of the derogation will be seen as failure.

In that regard, the meeting met its objectives.

There were no knock-out punches but nor was there ever going to be any.

Tadhg Buckley’s presentation proved the non-existing link between derogation farmers and poor water quality. He showed the 25% reduction in nitrogen load entering the estuaries since 2019.

There was little whataboutery; speakers and those asking questions took ownership of farming’s responsibilities, but highlighted the inherent unfairness in the European Commission including the Habitats Directive in to the mix, six months out from D-Day on derogation.