A bonus to young farmers from processors and access to training can be crucial in creating a viable future for the beef sector, says Macra na Feirme president James Healy.

The Brexit plight of intensive pig, poultry and mushroom farmers has been raised by Thomas Duffy from Virginia, Cavan, who was last week declared the 37th Macra na Feirme National President.

Macra has welcomed the announcement by Rural and Community Development Minister Michael Ring that €10,000 is to be made available to each of the 31 local authorities, as part of the inaugural ‘Big Hello’ initiative.

A year into his tenure as Macra president, Eoin McCarthy talks to James Healy about his highlights and successes.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has delivered his Budget 2018 speech. We’ll bring you the main reaction from special-interest groups and others.

Beef and suckler farmers should be consulted before Ireland settles on a breeding strategy based upon the New Zealand model, says ICSA suckler chairman John Halley.

Macra has proposed a “six-pack of priorities” to reduce the impact of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU on young farmers and young people living in Rural Ireland.

The newly elected president of Macra na Feirme, James Healy, has called on Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to put together a package of measures and incentives “specifically for young farmers including further access to low cost credit to help ensure they can continue to grow and expand their agriculture enterprises despite the current volatility and be ready for the post-Brexit era”.

Over the weekend, the Sunday’s Well Rebels, Ireland’s only mixed ability rugby team, returned home to Cork after their successful Mixed Ability Rugby World Tournament campaign in the UK.

The Sunday’s Well Rebels, Ireland’s only Mixed Ability rugby team, are through to the final of the Mixed Abilites Rugby World Tournament after three days of play in Bradford.

Kildare 3-16 Dublin 3-13: A devastating scoring blitz before half-time paved the way for Kildare’s victory over Paddy Christie’s Dublin in yesterday’s Electric Ireland Leinster minor football semi-final at Croke Park.

Budding journalist Elayna Keller showed the power of the written word yesterday when she won a national competition that encourages students to read newspapers.

There will be a changing of the top guard at the annual general meeting of Macra na Feirme in Charleville next Saturday.

Barrister and accountant Kieran O’Dowd has been elected as the 34th president of Macra na Feirme, the first ever non-farmer to hold the office and Sligo’s first national president.

THERE must have been mixed emotions for the Down football fraternity in Croke Park on Saturday.

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese yesterday presented 57 Gaisce gold awards to young adults from across the country for outstanding achievement either personally or on behalf of their communities.

Newspaper group Trinity Mirror put the Racing Post and more than 100 regional titles up for sale today as it reported falling advertising revenues and declining circulation.

MORE THAN 20 people have been shot dead since the Department of Justice last year insisted Ireland was a safe country.

AN internal garda inquiry into the handling of the murder and suicide that cost the lives of two young farmers in Co Carlow will probe why the killer was granted a firearms certificate when complaints had been made about his threatening behaviour.

The removals of the victims of a double shooting at the weekend will take place this evening.

It has emerged today that the man who shot dead a neighbour in Co Carlow yesterday, and then killed himself, was taking a civil case against the victim over a land dispute.

The two men that died in related shootings in Co Carlow yesterday have been named by Gardaí.

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