Freemount members fly Macra flag on TG4
This year, as the name suggests, in a change to the regular format, farming families from Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Kildare, Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, and Dublin, rather than individual farmers, are participating, as the IFTA-nominated programme, now in its fifth series, hunts for Ireland’s top farming family.
The show, with a top prize of €20,000, is presented by Síle Ní Bhraonáin, and features resident judge and dairy farmer, Seán Ó Lionáird, based in Macroom, Co Cork, along with new judges Síle Nic Chonaonaigh, formally the presenter of Garraí Glas and an organic enthusiast, and Peadar Ó Scanaill, a veterinary surgeon based in North Dublin
As well as being an entertainment series, Clann Feirm Factor champions farming, and the skills and knowledge needed to be a top farmer in the country today.
The show gives a valuable insight into what it means to be farming in Ireland, where there is no nine-to-five, no days off, and no sick leave.
Participating families are required to always be on the go, never stopping, and constantly dealing with an assortment of trials and situations throughout their week.
It is these trials and situations that Clann Feirm Factor pays homage to and gives viewers a look into the daily routine and challenges of the farmyard.
With tasks ranging from tractor obstacle courses to dosing cattle, guessing crossbreeds of animals to gruelling quizzes, herding sheep and building fences, no task is left undone.
This year’s series was filmed on location in Co Cork, at Clonakilty Agricultural College.
The show airs on Sunday nights on TG4 at 8.30pm.
