Baltinglass Mart

The weekly cattle sale takes place in Baltinglass Mart every Wednesday. Cecil O’Neill works as a drover at the mart and was featured on the front cover of this week’s Irish Farmers Journal.Last week’s special show and sale for bullocks at Baltinglass saw a sharp demand for all forward and light stores. / Philip Doyle

Milk collections

Tony Doherty is a milk collection driver for Kerry Group. With many cows having been dried off for winter, milk collections are now back up and running for the year ahead. Tony collects milk from Michael and Edward Fitzgerald, on their farm at Tobernea, Effin, Co Limerick. / Donal O’Leary

Walter Graham winter feeding in Co Carlow

Walter Graham, a beef farmer from Meadowbrook, Creetyard, Co Carlow, feeding his weanlings meal. He buys hopes to have his weanlings finished by May. / Ramona Farrelly

Peter Gollogly in Co Monaghan

Peter Gollogly is a small suckler farmer in Greydrummit, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. He farms 23 acres and is pictured here feeding silage to the animals. Prior to the slurry ban being lifted on 1 February, Peter was running out of space to store his slurry. To cope with the build up, he was forced to move some of his nine-month-old calves to a field above the farm. / Ramona Farrelly

National Planning Framework Coalition consultation meeting

The NPF Coalition held its consultation meeting at the Hudson Bay Hotel, Co Westmeath, this week.The meeting heard from speakers including TDs Michael Fitzmaurice, Alan Kelly, Éamonn Ó’Cuív and Martin Kenny. The TDs were calling for drastic revision of the National Planning Framework. More than 350 people attended the meeting, with several calling on the Government to place more of an emphasis on communities in rural Ireland. / David Ruffles

Thomas Quirke in Co Tipperary

Thomas Quirke is a dairy farmer in Nodstown, Cashel, Co Tipperary. He runs the farm with the help of his young family, including his wife Martha, daughters Paula and Bríd, and son Niall.

Like most dairy farmers across the country, Thomas is in calving season at present, and to date has around 25% of his cows calved. \ Philip Doyle