Donnacha O'Brien

Opinion: Varadkar's provocative pronouncements are both worrying and revealing

Declan O'Brien suggests the former taoiseach's assertion that farming 'bring costs on Ireland' is deliberately divisive and could best be described as pure raiméis.

OPINION 21 April 2026

Opinion: Varadkar's provocative pronouncements are both worrying and revealing

MOST READ STORIES

1

2

3

4

5

Heavy April rains hammer the west

Heavy April rains hammer the west

NEWS 19 April 2026

Work begins on definition of a contractor

Work begins on definition of a contractor

NEWS 15 April 2026

Poor weather results in decrease in fertiliser usage

Poor weather results in decrease in fertiliser usage

Poor weather results in decrease in fertiliser usage

NEWS 15 April 2026

Some mart confusion around new TB rules

Some mart confusion around new TB rules

Some mart confusion around new TB rules

NEWS 15 April 2026

ADVERTISEMENT

Flatter trade for dairy stock this spring

Flatter trade for dairy stock this spring

Mart managers report plenty of buyers for dairy replacement animals, but there is an absence of fire in the sales.

NEWS 5 April 2026

Gulf conflict continues to cause fertiliser chaos

Gulf conflict continues to cause fertiliser chaos

The latest impact of the hostilities is a proposal from the world’s largest producer of phosphates to cut production of DAP over the coming weeks.

NEWS 5 April 2026

Feed mills battle to keep ration supplied as fuel shortages bite

Feed mills battle to keep ration supplied as fuel shortages bite

Feed supplies are holding, but there are growing fears around fuel availability as a growing number of forecourts close. Declan O'Brien and Amy Forde report.

NEWS 5 April 2026

Protests add to fertiliser supply woes

Protests add to fertiliser supply woes

The transport protests have impacted the delivery of bagged product to farmers and the movement of raw materials from ports to blending and bagging plants.

NEWS 5 April 2026

Mart managers voice concerns regarding new TB rules

Mart managers voice concerns regarding new TB rules

Managers complain that the Department of Agriculture leaflet on the new rules was misleading and has led to confusion among farmers. Declan O’Brien reports

NEWS 5 April 2026

Port blockades threaten feed supplies

Port blockades threaten feed supplies

Feed mills have warned of the potential for a serious animal welfare crisis due to the fuel protests at ports.

NEWS 5 April 2026

Over 912,000 tonnes of fertiliser in the country by mid-March

Over 912,000 tonnes of fertiliser in the country by mid-March

Fertiliser sales up to 11 March totalled 216,083 tonnes. This included 42,250 tonnes of CAN and 59,640 tonnes of urea.

NEWS 5 April 2026

SPONSORED

National Cultivate Week: celebrating farmers and credit unions that back them

On most farms right now, calving is winding down, cattle are out and the decisions that shape the rest of the year are coming thick and fast.

National Cultivate Week: celebrating farmers and credit unions that back them

LOAD MORE STORIES