New sheep man at Bord Bia
There’s a new man in town on the Bord Bia meat team, with Seamus McMenamin taking up the role of sheepmeat and livestock sector manager.
McMenamin worked with the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) in Northern Ireland for 10 years, where he was an economist and previously was market analyst and farm quality assurance manager.
McMenamin will be responsible for the development and execution of Bord Bia’s plans for lamb and livestock.
Based in Co Monaghan, I’ve been informed he is a keen Gaelic footballer. With the Farney county dumped out of the championship, he’ll have plenty of time to focus on his new job.
Yemen appeal ‘exceeds all expectations’, raising €150,000
A campaign to raise funds for those affected by war and famine in Yemen has so far raised more than €150,000.
Together for Yemen asks each of Ireland’s dairy farmers to donate the equivalent of one day’s milk from a cow to the Red Cross to distribute in Yemen.
The effort orchestrated by Longford farmer Mike Magan has seen farmers from both sides of the border put their shoulder to the wheel, with sights now set on crossing the €200,000 mark.
“I wanted to draw attention to the Yemeni people and the plight they were enduring. A father was feeding his child a sugar and water paste, that’s all he had. The images were stuck in my head and I knew I had to make an effort to help these people.”
Magan and fellow dairy farmers and co-ops have been generous in their pledges.
Land of plenty
“We live in a land of plenty and only endure mild inconveniences at worst. It’s a privilege to live in such a stable country and I thought why not share some of our good fortune.
“I’ve been blown away by the response the campaign has received from the entire farming community.
“One farmer who is finishing up milking has decided to donate the money from his final milk collection to the campaign.”
Whelton is new AIB head of agri
I see Donal Whelton is taking up the mantle as head of agri at AIB.
He has worked at AIB since 2000 on the agri team and, like his predecessor Tadhg Buckley who has now joined the IFA, is from Cork.
Most recently Whelton led the southern agri team and was responsible for the bank’s lending to farmers across south of country.
Originally from a dairy farm in Barryroe, he holds an Agricultural Science degree from UCD and is a qualified financial adviser.
Longford man is Student of the Year
A Longford man has won the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year for 2019.
Enda Farrell from Ballymahon, Co Longford, completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agricultural (Dairy Herd Management) in Teagasc’s Ballyhaise College before returning to a family farm partnership and establishing a dairy herd in 2020.
Farrell saw off stiff competition from 11 other nominees to win the award on Monday night.
New bosses at Ballymote and Mohill
I see new mart managers have been appointed at Ballymote Mart in Sligo and Mohill Mart in Leitrim. David Faughan has taken up the reins at Ballymote, while Daragh Barden is the new manager of Mohill.
Faughan joined Aurivo in 2009 and has worked across the Homeland branch network where he was branch manager in Riverstown. He worked in Aurivo’s mart business earlier in his career.
Barden joined Mohill Mart in 2013 and has gained significant experience in the running of a mart. I’m told he has made a considerable contribution to the overall operations of the mart.
PR guru Dr Vanessa Woods had written a book for primary school students that uses poetry to help simplify the science behind farming and food for health and wellbeing. The book is to be made available to every primary school and teacher training college in Ireland next week. I’m told it covers everything from food nutrients to sustainability to grass-fed Irish products and carbon sequestration. I’m looking forward to the poem on carbon sequestration.
Meehan role
I see solicitor and farmer Aisling Meehan has been appointed to the board of the Western Development Commission by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.
When not answering your legal queries in the pages of Irish Country Living, Meehan can be found in her Clare office working away with farmers on their legal and tax issues as well as farming on the family dairy farm.
New sheep man at Bord Bia
There’s a new man in town on the Bord Bia meat team, with Seamus McMenamin taking up the role of sheepmeat and livestock sector manager.
McMenamin worked with the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) in Northern Ireland for 10 years, where he was an economist and previously was market analyst and farm quality assurance manager.
McMenamin will be responsible for the development and execution of Bord Bia’s plans for lamb and livestock.
Based in Co Monaghan, I’ve been informed he is a keen Gaelic footballer. With the Farney county dumped out of the championship, he’ll have plenty of time to focus on his new job.
Yemen appeal ‘exceeds all expectations’, raising €150,000
A campaign to raise funds for those affected by war and famine in Yemen has so far raised more than €150,000.
Together for Yemen asks each of Ireland’s dairy farmers to donate the equivalent of one day’s milk from a cow to the Red Cross to distribute in Yemen.
The effort orchestrated by Longford farmer Mike Magan has seen farmers from both sides of the border put their shoulder to the wheel, with sights now set on crossing the €200,000 mark.
“I wanted to draw attention to the Yemeni people and the plight they were enduring. A father was feeding his child a sugar and water paste, that’s all he had. The images were stuck in my head and I knew I had to make an effort to help these people.”
Magan and fellow dairy farmers and co-ops have been generous in their pledges.
Land of plenty
“We live in a land of plenty and only endure mild inconveniences at worst. It’s a privilege to live in such a stable country and I thought why not share some of our good fortune.
“I’ve been blown away by the response the campaign has received from the entire farming community.
“One farmer who is finishing up milking has decided to donate the money from his final milk collection to the campaign.”
Whelton is new AIB head of agri
I see Donal Whelton is taking up the mantle as head of agri at AIB.
He has worked at AIB since 2000 on the agri team and, like his predecessor Tadhg Buckley who has now joined the IFA, is from Cork.
Most recently Whelton led the southern agri team and was responsible for the bank’s lending to farmers across south of country.
Originally from a dairy farm in Barryroe, he holds an Agricultural Science degree from UCD and is a qualified financial adviser.
Longford man is Student of the Year
A Longford man has won the Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year for 2019.
Enda Farrell from Ballymahon, Co Longford, completed the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agricultural (Dairy Herd Management) in Teagasc’s Ballyhaise College before returning to a family farm partnership and establishing a dairy herd in 2020.
Farrell saw off stiff competition from 11 other nominees to win the award on Monday night.
New bosses at Ballymote and Mohill
I see new mart managers have been appointed at Ballymote Mart in Sligo and Mohill Mart in Leitrim. David Faughan has taken up the reins at Ballymote, while Daragh Barden is the new manager of Mohill.
Faughan joined Aurivo in 2009 and has worked across the Homeland branch network where he was branch manager in Riverstown. He worked in Aurivo’s mart business earlier in his career.
Barden joined Mohill Mart in 2013 and has gained significant experience in the running of a mart. I’m told he has made a considerable contribution to the overall operations of the mart.
PR guru Dr Vanessa Woods had written a book for primary school students that uses poetry to help simplify the science behind farming and food for health and wellbeing. The book is to be made available to every primary school and teacher training college in Ireland next week. I’m told it covers everything from food nutrients to sustainability to grass-fed Irish products and carbon sequestration. I’m looking forward to the poem on carbon sequestration.
Meehan role
I see solicitor and farmer Aisling Meehan has been appointed to the board of the Western Development Commission by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.
When not answering your legal queries in the pages of Irish Country Living, Meehan can be found in her Clare office working away with farmers on their legal and tax issues as well as farming on the family dairy farm.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: