Farming columnist - Paula Hynes

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#Farming columnist - Paula Hynes

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>The show heifers simply powered ahead as their diet was constant every day.</p>

farming

Paula Hynes: Our farm's secret to fantastic maiden heifers

Housing through summer with a consistent diet transformed their thrive, boosting future herd performance and AI success

Paula Hynes: We are all paying the price for a war we didn't want

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

Paula Hynes: You win some, and lose some

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

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

farming

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

Paula Hynes: What advice would I give a 20-year-old wanting to farm?

Paula Hynes: What advice would I give a 20-year-old wanting to farm?

It's been a truly international week for Paula and the gang on the farm in Aherla — and beyond

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Paula Hynes: Celebrating a calf poo

Paula Hynes: Celebrating a calf poo

There is a saying in farming that where there is livestock, there is dead stock. Sometimes animals die, and we as farmers feel they shouldn’t have, but when we come across an animal like little Pat, which is fighting to survive, we give it our best shot and give it all the help in the world.

Tue, 13 Jan, 2026

Paula Hynes: Snowy roads, new calves and the on farm challenge

Paula Hynes: Snowy roads, new calves and the on farm challenge

Danske Bank are the main sponsors of the RUAS Winter Fair, so when livestock classes were cancelled at the show due to the bluetongue outbreak in Northern Ireland, it was fantastic to see them step up for the on farm challenge, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Claims historic double showmanship win at International Dairy Week

Claims historic double showmanship win at International Dairy Week

Becky achieved a significant victory at International Dairy Week, winning her intermediate showmanship class for the third time and becoming the inaugural Showmanship Grand Champion.

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Paula Hynes: A Parisian Christmas amid France's farmer protests

Paula Hynes: A Parisian Christmas amid France's farmer protests

The passion and flair the French have for food means they are very accepting of seeing their farmers protest, writes Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Tue, 16 Dec, 2025

Bluetongue outbreak

Paula Hynes: We need to use common sense when it comes to bluetongue

We must not be sucked into conspiracy theories, we need to be vigilant

Mon, 08 Dec, 2025

Paula Hynes: The North's bluetongue scare has given us a dose of the Winter Fair blues

Paula Hynes: The North's bluetongue scare has given us a dose of the Winter Fair blues

Unfortunately, the bah-humbug of Christmas show spirit has come in the form of two suspected cases of Bluetongue in Northern Ireland, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Mon, 01 Dec, 2025

Road transport. Lorry carrying liquid products traveling on the motorway.

Paula Hynes: It’s time to decide — volume game or value game for Irish dairy?

Dairy production globally is a volume game anyway. But if we adapt our cow type on farm, then so too do our dairy processors need to adapt, writes Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Wed, 26 Nov, 2025

Paula Hynes: The menopause can be like the worst storm

Paula Hynes: The menopause can be like the worst storm

Menopause can a huge challenge for women so it is important to seek medical advice and support as I did, and find out what works for you

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025

Paula Hynes: 15 years in Irish dairy farming

Paula Hynes: 15 years in Irish dairy farming

Imagine if you stood up at a farm walk 15 years ago and said beef prices would hit €8 a kilo in 2025 and the cost of producing a litre of milk from grass would rise to 42 cent and the EU would look to reduce dairy herds 10 years after allowing them to expand

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Paula Hynes: The day our daughter took a calf to school

Paula Hynes: The day our daughter took a calf to school

Georgie had a chance to share her passion for dairy showing at school with Kalani before the mid-term break, while Paula got ready for holidays, farmer-style

Tue, 04 Nov, 2025

Paula Hynes: Will we see any recovery in milk prices?

Paula Hynes: Will we see any recovery in milk prices?

Currently, the best-case scenario is that base price for milk might settle in the mid 30c region

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025

Paula Hynes: Rivers running free as Storm Amy hits

Paula Hynes: Rivers running free as Storm Amy hits

It was a miserable 48 hours as the rain returned with a bang during storm Amy

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Paula Hynes: The people in our overworked health system deserve a lot of praise

Paula Hynes: The people in our overworked health system deserve a lot of praise

Paula Hynes thanks the dedicated, highly skilled people who looked after her while she undertook tests in hospital last week and looks forward to Millstreet

Mon, 29 Sep, 2025

Paula Hynes: A new arrival at the Dairy Show

Paula Hynes: A new arrival at the Dairy Show

Last weekend we attended the AXA National Dairy Show in Millstreet and with a big team entered, there was lots of help required so the dream team were back to work with us.

Tue, 23 Sep, 2025

Paula Hynes: Maize season makes me wish our contractor had airplanes

Paula Hynes: Maize season makes me wish our contractor had airplanes

While I'm glad Ryanair was not given the task of planting and harvesting our maize, given the delayed flights we have recently experienced, I know our contractors CCS would have as usual given an efficient service

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Thanks to all the volunteers at Inniscarra

Thanks to all the volunteers at Inniscarra

Farming is like a merry-go-round, with baby calves on the farm again. Autumn breeding season is just around the corner, and it is hard to believe we will be breeding the show heifers soon, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Mon, 15 Sep, 2025

Paula Hynes: Black pudding in Cork and Belgium

Paula Hynes: Black pudding in Cork and Belgium

Kasey’s dam calved with a lovely heifer calf by Vierra Sting. It’s our second Sting heifer calf this autumn, and we also had a Chocochip heifer calve with a Blondin Classic heifer calf

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Paula Hynes: Lights, camera, action - 'My Story, Georgie' hits the screens

Paula Hynes: Lights, camera, action - 'My Story, Georgie' hits the screens

When you're filming real life, and especially with animals involved, you can’t really do a take two, writes Paula Hynes

Wed, 03 Sep, 2025

Paula Hynes: Proud to be at the cow version of the Rose of Tralee

Paula Hynes: Proud to be at the cow version of the Rose of Tralee

Our brilliant week started off with us becoming grandparents before preparing for the Virginia Show, writes Paula Hynes

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Paula Hynes: I'm on an Azores high amid this busy show season

Paula Hynes: I'm on an Azores high amid this busy show season

In the middle of a busy show schedule — including Cavan this week and Inniscarra later this month — Paula enjoyed a visit from farmers working in Portugal's Azores Islands

Wed, 20 Aug, 2025

Paula Hynes: We are simply a showing family

Paula Hynes: We are simply a showing family

We take one show at a time, we discuss show teams as a team, and decide who travels and who needs a rest. The close friends we have made, we compete against each other in the ring, but outside the ring, we are a show family, and we’ve got each other's backs

Wed, 13 Aug, 2025

Paula Hynes: A-maizing maize and genetics insights

Paula Hynes: A-maizing maize and genetics insights

Do you know who cloned the first horse, or who revolutionised the global dairy breeding industry through sexed semen? Paula Hynes explains where you can find the answers

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Paula Hynes: The championship of dreams - and it's not the hurling

Paula Hynes: The championship of dreams - and it's not the hurling

A championship we had only dreamed of winning had now become a reality, as Rouge sizzles at National YMA Finals

Wed, 30 Jul, 2025

Paula Hynes: Do you have a beef with the cost of living?

Paula Hynes: Do you have a beef with the cost of living?

The next time you hear a politician or an MEP saying they have got your back, ask them what their stance on EU food security is, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Fri, 18 Jul, 2025

Paula Hynes: A truly great Yorkshire show

Paula Hynes: A truly great Yorkshire show

A successful show for Georgie and making memories that will last a lifetime

Mon, 14 Jul, 2025

Paula Hynes: A presidential visit to Charleville Show

Paula Hynes: A presidential visit to Charleville Show

A hectic show life makes for a hectic farm life, as there is always work to catch up on, writes Paula Hynes

Thu, 03 Jul, 2025

Paula Hynes: The Royal Highland, a field evening and a farmyard loss

Paula Hynes: The Royal Highland, a field evening and a farmyard loss

It is always great to experience overseas shows, but the days are long so the trips are far from a holiday, writes Paula Hynes

Mon, 30 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: Special K with a hint of Chocochip at the Cork Summer Show

Paula Hynes: Special K with a hint of Chocochip at the Cork Summer Show

Last weekend's Cork Summer Show was a great success for Paula Hynes and her 'special K Club' which she hopes to continues in the Royal Highland Agricultural Show in Edinburgh

Tue, 24 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: Emilie is not in Paris, but Aherla instead

Paula Hynes: Emilie is not in Paris, but Aherla instead

As French student Emilie settles into our farming life, Paula welcomes more arrivals to prep the show team for West Cork's main show for dairy stock, the Clonakilty Show

Thu, 12 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: I greet my guests with a 'Welcome to Fawlty Towers' sign

Paula Hynes: I greet my guests with a 'Welcome to Fawlty Towers' sign

Last week may have been a bank holiday weekend, but with so many shows on the horizon, Paula's been busy catching up and keeping ahead with farm chores ahead of her visitors arriving

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

Paula Hynes: Water is the source of life, and essential for farms

Paula Hynes: Water is the source of life, and essential for farms

A cow will drink anything from 30 to 120 litres of water a day, so as you can imagine availability is key for successful farming, writes Farming columnist and Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 30 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Wrapping It Pink for breast cancer

Paula Hynes: Wrapping It Pink for breast cancer

If you are driving around the countryside and see pink bales in a field, stop and take a photo and use #WrapItPink to share the message on social media, urges Cork dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 23 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Hair cuts and grass cuts on the farm

Paula Hynes: Hair cuts and grass cuts on the farm

Once the rain does arrive, there should be a good surge in grass growth as soil temperatures are high, but while we long for some rainy days, hopefully there will be some fine weather ahead still for the summer

Wed, 21 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: From AI to DIY - It’s all go on the farm in Aherla

Paula Hynes: From AI to DIY - It’s all go on the farm in Aherla

The farm always requires some routine maintenance, and the summer months are a chance to tackle some of these jobs, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Mon, 12 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: Looking at the world from the outside in

Paula Hynes: Looking at the world from the outside in

Five months without a day off is ridiculous, but that is it takes to keep a farm running and produce food, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 09 May, 2025

Paula Hynes: The ultimate 'sister act' at Emerald Expo

Paula Hynes: The ultimate 'sister act' at Emerald Expo

Life often gives us personal memories at shows, seeing Georgie and Becky as sisters showing sisters Kali and Kasey to win champion and reserve champion colourbreed was special, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Mon, 28 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: A Kenyan road trip down memory lane

Paula Hynes: A Kenyan road trip down memory lane

Some of you may have seen Paula on the 'Hardest Harvest' on RTÉ, where she visited Kenya and lived with a Maasai community for three weeks, but what most of you won’t know is that she returned to Kenya a year later.

Thu, 17 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: The weather has been a-maize-ing

Paula Hynes: The weather has been a-maize-ing

A first for the farm this week was growing maize; we purchased maize from our contractor Niall Canty last autumn

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: Tough decisions and why less is more

Paula Hynes: Tough decisions and why less is more

After what has been another week of glorious sunshine, we had 5mm of rain on Friday night, which was very welcome as the forecast for the week ahead is superb again. Cantys were in ploughing 17 acres this week, seven acres of which is a reseed.

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Paula Hynes: A visit to CUH with Becky

Paula Hynes: A visit to CUH with Becky

This week has been so hectic keeping the farm running.

Mon, 31 Mar, 2025

Paula Hynes: Pausing IP on elite Irish genetics would be like driving with the handbrake on

Paula Hynes: Pausing IP on elite Irish genetics would be like driving with the handbrake on

If we are willing to accept the need for IP protection, like most other farmers around the world, then we have a chance to drive forward and make real progress

Wed, 26 Mar, 2025

Trump Speech

Paula Hynes: Ignore tariff threats, food finally has value

No doubt the consumer will be told in time that farmers are making record profits, while the reality is we are getting paid a fairer price for our produce and rewarded for the work we do, writes dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

Fri, 07 Mar, 2025

Baby calves in a barn

Paula Hynes: Your health is you wealth, and it all starts with nutrition

Of course, feeding comes at a cost, but those costs are easily justified in performance on milk yield, writes Aherla dairy farmer Paula Hynes

Fri, 28 Feb, 2025