There have been plenty of mutterings this week and the Dealer understands that the organic dairy farm at An Grianán, the 2,400ac property bought by Karol and Chantelle McElhinney’s Glenmore Estate Farms Ltd for €17.4m in July, is now investing in milking robots.

Eight robots are going in this month at the Donegal farm. I reckon that would make it the biggest robot-powered parlour in the country.

The McElhinneys not only acquired the land from the Donegal Investment Group, they also bought out the lease on the 500-cow dairy farm with Karol now listed as the IOFGA-registered milk, beef, grain and clover organic farmer for An Grianán.