CIE Tours has provided the ReFarm Burren scheme with three years funding to supply 15 farmers with solar-powered “no-fence” GPS collars to facilitate grazing cattle without the need for traditional fencing.

The collars work by emitting a musical tone to alert the animal when it reaches the virtual boundary, followed by a mild electrical pulse if they continue.

This trains the cattle to respond to the music, which allows for targeted, low-impact grazing in the Burren.

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“It’s hard not to smile when you hear about cows trained by music, but this is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, community-rooted project our Sustainability Action Fund was designed to support,” said Stephen Cotter, managing director of CIE Tours.

CIE Tours did not say how much it is paying for the collars, but confirmed the funding will be for three years.

Winterage

In the Burren, many farmers graze cattle outside throughout the winter. This grazing keeps the species-rich grass down, giving a wide variety of flowers the chance to bloom each year.

The Burren terrain is not suitable for traditional fencing and these collars allow farmers to keep track of their cattle grazing on winterages in the Burren via an app, while also saving time and labour.

This project is supported by CIE Tours’ Sustainable Action Fund which is committed to “responsible tourism, supporting communities, cultures and natural environments that make travel meaningful for its guests”.

Tim O’Connell, ReFarm Burren co-ordinator said: “It’s the grazing that makes the Burren amazing, and CIE Tours funding has allowed local farmers to graze their winterages more efficiently and effectively, helping future proof Burren habitats and farming systems”.

Biodiversity

ReFarm is an initiative developed in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, Burrenbeo Trust and others with an aim to promote “farming for nature” practices across Ireland also to make farming more efficient and appealing to a younger generation through accessible, app-based tools.

To date over €1.5m has been raised to support biodiversity initiatives like hedgerows, woodlands, wildlife ponds and research.