The Oscars are known for glitz and glamour but this year there was a distinct anti-farming feeling when the winner of best actor award, Joaquin Phoenix, took to the stage to make his acceptance speech.
“We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable,” he told Hollywood’s elite.
“Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”
Veganuary might be over but the vegan campaign has been injected with fresh drama to feed off.
Leinster Marts manager Jimmy Walsh and Jim Byrne, Gormanstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, reminisce on the first sale held in Carlow Mart on 20 March 1959 with prices in pounds, shillings and pence. In addition to Carlow mart celebrating 60 years, Leinster Marts marked 50 years of trading on Monday. Jimmy and Jim said marts faced significant challenges at the outset, with dealers opposed to change and committed to retaining the fair system for trading livestock. To entice buyers, a lucky penny payment was added into the seller’s sale commission and given to the buyer. Jim says marts transformed the process of trading cattle for farmers by introducing a transparent auction system. Prior to this he remembers days when he walked cattle 15 miles to the fair in Naas and home again after failing to be bid for his cattle.
Jimmy Walsh and Jim Byrne, Gormanstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare. \ Philip Doyle
House of Lords weighs in on Irish (clock) unity
I see the House of Lords has weighed in on the summertime/wintertime clock debate, saying a “time border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic would have repercussions.
Last year, the European Parliament voted to abolish clock changes.
The Lords’ report said that a split time difference where one part of the island of Ireland retains clock change “would add greater complexity” to relations between the north and south.
A future NI Executive would have to choose between having a one-hour time difference for parts of the year with the Republic or the rest of the UK. And someone said Brexit was complicated?
A restaurant in Liverpool is marketing an 8oz fillet steak on its menu as a “Ladies’ fillet”.
The name drew much negative online attention but the manager from the Manhattan Bar and Grill defended the name, saying hen parties and women requested smaller steaks. The price of the 8oz fillet is £18.95. The Dealer wouldn’t claim to be an expert on any topic, but he’s well aware of the rules on suggesting what a woman should and shouldn’t eat.
The Dealer’s eye was caught by an advert online this week.
A Mayo farmer touted his springing cow for sale, claiming that he needed the money for more tipple. He proclaimed he’d been drinking since Christmas and needed a top-up in funds to continue.
His brutal honesty – or fantastic marketing technique – generated over 13,000 views for the cow and, ultimately, a cash sale.
DNA used to catch cow thief
I see police in Wales who were investigating the theft of a dairy cow used DNA samples from other cows on the victim’s farm to confirm that the cow was stolen.
The cow, who was discovered on a neighbouring farm, was visually identified by the victim as being his. However, the culprit had retagged the cow and could provide a passport showing proof of ownership.
A DNA test was carried out and that proved she didn’t match the details on her passport.
Further DNA tests were completed on siblings of the cow on the victim’s farm and it was proven she was stolen. The farmer who stole the cow was fined £4,500.
All that work BDGP tagging cows in the crush could come in handy some day.
Irish passports in fashion in Brussels
I was amused to see an RTÉ report reveal that up to 60 British-born European Commission officials have applied for Irish passports.
These officials, presumably with Irish heritage, availed of an Irish passport “to maintain upward mobility within the EU institutions after Brexit”, the report stated.
More worryingly, it also recounts a looming shortage of Irish among the Brussels bureaucrats.
High wages here mean that graduates are not as attracted to making Kitty O’Shea’s their local as they used to be.
That is a concern, because the now-departed British were allies for the Irish position on a surprising number of issues. We can’t afford any further loss of influence in the corridors of power.
The Oscars are known for glitz and glamour but this year there was a distinct anti-farming feeling when the winner of best actor award, Joaquin Phoenix, took to the stage to make his acceptance speech.
“We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable,” he told Hollywood’s elite.
“Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”
Veganuary might be over but the vegan campaign has been injected with fresh drama to feed off.
Leinster Marts manager Jimmy Walsh and Jim Byrne, Gormanstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, reminisce on the first sale held in Carlow Mart on 20 March 1959 with prices in pounds, shillings and pence. In addition to Carlow mart celebrating 60 years, Leinster Marts marked 50 years of trading on Monday. Jimmy and Jim said marts faced significant challenges at the outset, with dealers opposed to change and committed to retaining the fair system for trading livestock. To entice buyers, a lucky penny payment was added into the seller’s sale commission and given to the buyer. Jim says marts transformed the process of trading cattle for farmers by introducing a transparent auction system. Prior to this he remembers days when he walked cattle 15 miles to the fair in Naas and home again after failing to be bid for his cattle.
Jimmy Walsh and Jim Byrne, Gormanstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare. \ Philip Doyle
House of Lords weighs in on Irish (clock) unity
I see the House of Lords has weighed in on the summertime/wintertime clock debate, saying a “time border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic would have repercussions.
Last year, the European Parliament voted to abolish clock changes.
The Lords’ report said that a split time difference where one part of the island of Ireland retains clock change “would add greater complexity” to relations between the north and south.
A future NI Executive would have to choose between having a one-hour time difference for parts of the year with the Republic or the rest of the UK. And someone said Brexit was complicated?
A restaurant in Liverpool is marketing an 8oz fillet steak on its menu as a “Ladies’ fillet”.
The name drew much negative online attention but the manager from the Manhattan Bar and Grill defended the name, saying hen parties and women requested smaller steaks. The price of the 8oz fillet is £18.95. The Dealer wouldn’t claim to be an expert on any topic, but he’s well aware of the rules on suggesting what a woman should and shouldn’t eat.
The Dealer’s eye was caught by an advert online this week.
A Mayo farmer touted his springing cow for sale, claiming that he needed the money for more tipple. He proclaimed he’d been drinking since Christmas and needed a top-up in funds to continue.
His brutal honesty – or fantastic marketing technique – generated over 13,000 views for the cow and, ultimately, a cash sale.
DNA used to catch cow thief
I see police in Wales who were investigating the theft of a dairy cow used DNA samples from other cows on the victim’s farm to confirm that the cow was stolen.
The cow, who was discovered on a neighbouring farm, was visually identified by the victim as being his. However, the culprit had retagged the cow and could provide a passport showing proof of ownership.
A DNA test was carried out and that proved she didn’t match the details on her passport.
Further DNA tests were completed on siblings of the cow on the victim’s farm and it was proven she was stolen. The farmer who stole the cow was fined £4,500.
All that work BDGP tagging cows in the crush could come in handy some day.
Irish passports in fashion in Brussels
I was amused to see an RTÉ report reveal that up to 60 British-born European Commission officials have applied for Irish passports.
These officials, presumably with Irish heritage, availed of an Irish passport “to maintain upward mobility within the EU institutions after Brexit”, the report stated.
More worryingly, it also recounts a looming shortage of Irish among the Brussels bureaucrats.
High wages here mean that graduates are not as attracted to making Kitty O’Shea’s their local as they used to be.
That is a concern, because the now-departed British were allies for the Irish position on a surprising number of issues. We can’t afford any further loss of influence in the corridors of power.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: