This week in photos: Ardee Mart and the Atkins customer experience day

This week's cover: John C Byrne in Co Tipperary

John C Byrne is a tillage and beef farmer outside Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

He took advantage of the recent dry spell to make his first-cut silage this week.

However, due to this year's poor spring, John had to delay his sowing and has now found himself sowing spring barley in one field and cutting silage in the next field.

John was one of the tillage farmers featured in this week's From the Tramlines update. \ Philip Doyle

O'Rourke family in Co Roscommon

Megan, Larry and Maureen O'Rourke farm sheep at Carriganmore, Co Roscommon.

In advance of shearing, which will be getting under way soon, the family rounded up their Belclare sheep.

In total, they have around 300 sheep to be sheared, made up of Belclare crosses and Belclare purebreds. \ Claire-Jeanne Nash

Atkins Birr customer experience day

Atkins Birr held a Fendt customer day in Co Offaly this week.

The event was used to demonstrate the full Fendt product range with tractors, mowers, rakes, baler and forage harvesters on show. \ Olivia Charles

Kevin Maher, Christy Condon and Pat O'Driscoll from Clonakilty, Co Cork, with the Fendt 824 at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

Liam Molloy from Fivealley and Blaine Lyons from Birr at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

Ken Cusack of Atkins and Tom Walsh from Templederry at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

Anthony and Conor Mooney from Shannon Harbour, Co Offaly, in front of the Fendt 516, with double mowers at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

Martin O'Toole and Michael Burke from Birr with the Fendt 828 at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

Neil Thornton from Athy, Co Kildare, Shane Healy from Freshford and Luke Thornton having a look around the Fendt 724 at Atkins Birr demo day. \ Olivia Charles

My Farming Week from Co Cork

Colin Bateman is a sheep and tillage farmer from Barry's Hall, Timoleague, Co Cork.

He farms 275 acres in total on owned and rented ground.

Colin has also been affected by the bad spring and was only able to to plough 30 acres of straw last week, which he had been trying to bale since September.

He grows beet, grain for crimping, maize and provides straw for dairy farmers in the area.

As well as tillage, Colin also keeps 200 Lleyn breeding ewes and sells the lambs to a local butcher. \ Donal O'Leary

Ardee Mart

Brenda Hoey moving cattle at Ardee Mart. \ Philip Doyle

Patsy Smith and Bennie Ward from Ardee at Ardee Mart. \ Philip Doyle

John Smith moving cattle at Ardee Mart. \ Philip Doyle

Patsy Smith and Bennie Ward, both from Ardee, in conversation at Ardee Mart. \ Philip Doyle

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This week in photos: Birr and Ballinasloe Marts and Kilbeggan Racing

Around the country in pictures

This week in photos: Newmarket-on-Fergus agri show and field work in Cork