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FARMING - COLUMNS

A collection of the latest columns, analysis and opinion from the farming desk. Enjoy.

Brian Reidy

Hazell Mullins, Vet on the Moove

Kieran Coughlan, Farm Finance

Paula Hynes, Hoofing It

<p>A disclaimer means that you formally refuse to take the benefit to which you are entitled. This must be done clearly and unequivocally, usually by way of a written deed of disclaimer.</p>

farming

Ask a solicitor: Disclaiming an inheritance — do I have to accept it?

Difficulties often arise where a beneficiary wishes to disclaim 'in favour of' a specific person, such as a child or other relative, writes solicitor Alex Krupa

<p>In addition to physical injuries, loss of earnings is a key consideration in farm-related cases. If you are unable to carry out essential farm work as a result of the injuries sustained, this financial loss can form part of a personal injury claim. </p>

farming

Ask a solicitor: Security dog attacks — what farmers need to know

Kieran Coughlan.png

Kieran Coughlan: Higher prices for oil and other farm inputs — what to expect in 2026

Kieran Coughlan.png

Kieran Coughlan: 12 low-cost and simple fixes for a smoother spring on the farm

Young happy man working in orchard during autumn apple harvest.

farming

Ask a solicitor: How can I become an Irish citizen?

Lighten Up: Why the Oscars needs to come to the Green Glens

Beef Cows and Bulls grazing on grass

Brian Reidy: Planning for turnout — don't give up hope just yet

This year, there is added pressure to get stock out as there has been no opportunity to spread slurry since the opening of the spreading window, warns ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Sun, 08 Mar, 2026

After the occupation: what Bord Bia must learn from its worst governance crisis

After the occupation: what Bord Bia must learn from its worst governance crisis

Language and optics were key accelerants on the Bord Bia fire, with protests escalating each time farmers felt their concerns had been mocked or ignored.

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Paula Hynes: More than a sale ring — the mart is a rural engine

Paula Hynes: More than a sale ring — the mart is a rural engine

The workload is at its maximum now, writes Paula Hynes

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

For sale sign in yard of house

Ask a solicitor: Selling investment property — what owners need to know

The mechanics of ending a residential tenancy in Ireland are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act (2004), and are closely monitored by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), writes rural solicitor Karen Walsh

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Horse Racing

Lighten Up: Auld Lehane back in the saddle for Cheltenham

As you might expect, the elite in the horse racing world were soon beating a path to my door, the offers came in fast and furious

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Curious cow looking to the camera at cattle farm.

Same cow, different year: Why early feeding still matters even when times are tight

It is never the cow’s fault if we get bad weather at the wrong time. She has no influence on input costs, nor does she set the milk price, warns independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Paula Hynes: You win some, and lose some

Paula Hynes: You win some, and lose some

Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes shares her thoughts on resilience in the yard as she reflects on twelve years TB-free and a calf that defied the odds

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Working tools for cleaning snow in a snowfall. Shovels.

Lighten Up: It's a wrap (a silage wrap) for Brad Pitt in West Cork

So for the past year, or thereabouts, Brad Pitt has been with me here on the farm in Kilmichael, learning all the skills of the trade, writes Denis Lehane in this week's Lighten Up

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

Signpost: Grazing redstart on Kay's organic farm

Signpost: Grazing redstart on Kay's organic farm

Kay has been feeding her weanlings a redstart crop — a hybrid brassica, essentially combining the rapid growth of forage rape with the hardiness of kale

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Newborn calf

Brian Reidy: Act fast with any calving, cow and calf issues

Act quickly when one or two cases appear, as the issue is unlikely to resolve without intervention, writes independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Real estate agent giving the keys

Ask a solicitor: Joint tenancy vs tenancy in common for unmarried couples in Ireland

My partner and I plan to buy a property together and are unsure of the legal consequences if one of us was to die or if our relationship were to break down

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

Signpost: From leased out land to a family farm — Denis's journey into dairy-beef

After leasing his farm out for over 30 years, Denis decided to use it himself to farm. A short period of contract rearing was followed by a year on the DairyBeef500 programme to help him on his venture as a beef farmer

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Bord Bia

Paula Hynes: There's no point in discrediting our national storyteller

If Brazilian farmers were anything like Ryanair, they would be thriving on the amount of coverage their beef is getting in Ireland, from the perspective that there is no such thing as bad news, writes Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Neustadt in Holstein, Germany - August 4, 2019, European Folklore Festival

Lighten Up: Only Michael Flatley can save us from the rain

Our Auld Lehane says he is struggling hard to remember a time in rural Ireland when we didn't have rain, as he reflects on a month of endless rain in this week's Lighten Up

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

feedlot intensive production system beef cattle

The week everyone missed: TB, CAP reform and Mercosur moves on

The EU-Mercosur agreement edged forward. MEPs approved enhanced safeguard mechanisms allowing tariff preferences on sensitive agricultural imports to be suspended if volumes rise 5% above a three-year average and prices fall 5% below EU equivalents.

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Paula Hynes: Traceability and a record-breaking DNA programme make Irish agri-food stand out

Paula Hynes: Traceability and a record-breaking DNA programme make Irish agri-food stand out

There is so much talk about food traceability at the moment, and Ireland really is a step ahead when it comes to the traceability of cattle, as we will most likely be the first country in the world to have a fully DNA-tested national herd

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Roses, two glasses of red wine and candles on desk

Auld Lehane's advice for frugal farmers on Valentine's Day

Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but they are no friend of mine, writes our Auld Lehane, as he gives his top tips ahead of Valentine's Day

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Dancing shoes of young couple dance retro jazz swing dances on a ballroom club wooden floor, close up view of shoes, female and

The Beckham wedding... Finally, auld Lehane discloses what he saw that night

Denis Lehane follows Brooklyn Beckham's Insta post with his own bombshell revelations about THAT first dance — but it's not what you might expect. Of course, it's this week's Lighten Up

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Bricklayer laying another brick in the wall on construction site for sturdy wall

Ask a solicitor: Is it worth it to risk building a home on family land without title?

The fact planning permission was obtained with your aunt’s cooperation does not, in itself, give rise to ownership rights. However, that does not necessarily mean that you have no legal protection

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

manure robot inside farm full of spotted milk cows in holland

Brian Reidy: Why feed space, water, and cubicles matter for early lactation

As a rule of thumb, if cows spend more than a minute standing on a cubicle undisturbed without lying down, they are unhappy with the cubicle design, warns independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Cows in a fresh grassy field on a clear day

Kieran Coughlan: Cashflow pinch is on its way

With ground conditions currently saturated, the chances of getting cows out to grass early in lactation remain slim, writes dairy farmer and rural tax specialist Kieran Coughlan

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Rachel Martin: Bord Bia row is no longer about beef — it’s about who agri policy is for

Rachel Martin: Bord Bia row is no longer about beef — it’s about who agri policy is for

At the risk of sounding like Shania Twain, little about the Bord Bia and Larry Murrin controversy has impressed me much this week. As things stand, Mr Murrin is due to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture in the coming days.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

A farmer holding a handful of freshly cut silage, showing the texture and quality of the forage used for livestock feed. Capture

Brian Reidy: Why dry matter intake is key to early lactation performance

Maintaining fresh-cow dry matter intake is one of the secrets to keeping cows healthy and productive throughout lactation, writes independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Moines House

Ask a solicitor: Turning a derelict farmhouse into a home — how the vacant property grant applies

To qualify, the property must have been vacant for a minimum of two years immediately prior to the grant application

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Rachel Martin: Standards must come top down

Rachel Martin: Standards must come top down

I used to think it would be a bad job to be caught in a supermarket with a trolley full of produce that didn’t align with what I wrote about for a living.

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

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