Four nights out and Mark Fanning is close to conceding that this evening’s Leinster semi-final has come just a little early for him. During a training session in Portugal last month, he put his hand up to catch a ball — only he slightly misjudged it and it flicked off the top of his finger.

Soil fertility is a key component of sustainable agricultural production and is critical for low-cost, grass-based livestock systems.

Teagasc in partnership with Galway County Council will stage Farming and Country Life 1916, Ireland’s largest rural 1916 commemorative.

The ladies of Innishannon ICA Guild get about. In the last decade, members have travelled the length and breath of Ireland by bus. 

As the country was buffeted by 130km/h winds yesterday, a report has confirmed that 2016 has thus far been a washout for most of us.

If you think the August weather is looking particularly grim, July was officially a washout.

Residents of Sherkin Island, just across from the fishing village of Baltimore in West Cork, enjoyed the warmest weather in the country last month.

The “most haunted house in Ireland” is taking terror to a new level by launching an interactive tour in time for Halloween.

This July may have been the hottest on record for most of the country — but the torrential rain towards the end of the month still managed to bump up rainfall totals to above average for some parts.

Teagasc is partnering with the University of East Anglia in the €9m EU-funded Aquavalens project to improve the safety of European drinking water.

Farmers with a stocking rate over 170 kg of organic nitrogen per hectare (equivalent to two livestock units per hectare) will have to apply for a derogation to the Department of Agriculture.

Keep your farmyard clean and tidy; do not store manure or waste silage on concrete without collection facilities for seepage, nor on hardcore.

Ireland experienced the warmest January for five to 10 years in almost every part of the country, Met Éireann revealed today.

FRIESIAN bulls in the Teagasc-Dawn Meats 19-month finishing trial at Johnstown Castle were slaughtered in September.

The Irish Farmers Association has offered to meet officials from the trade union IMPACT to discuss yesterday's IFA protest at the Department of Agricultre's offices in Wexford.

The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has strongly condemned the "aggressive nature" of the IFA protest which took place at his Department's offices in Johnstown Castle in Wexford earlier today.

Two people have been taken to Wexford General Hospital with minor injuries following a protest by farmers at the Department of Agriculture in Johnstown Castle.

DAWN Meats and Teagasc are conducting trials aimed at boosting Irish veal exports, with the greatest successes to date coming from 16/18-month calves and 22-month steers.

FARMERS can be the heat suppliers of the future by pooling their resources, Teagasc forestry advisers told attendees at the Bioenergy 2011 conference in Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford.

REARING the 320,000 male dairy calves produced annually into bulls could add €120 million to the value of annual Irish agricultural exports, attendees heard at the joint Teagasc and Dawn Meats conference.

AGRICULTURE Minister Brendan Smith has opened the sheep fencing/mobile handling equipment scheme, and announced that the €8 million available will be paid out in tranches, the first €1.148m tranche running to January 31, 2011.

GRANTS to compensate farmers for leaving eco-sensitive lands untouched need greater flexibility and must guarantee delivery of monies by October 1, says the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

A PROJECT to develop and demonstrate profitable opportunities for dairy-bred male calves by taking them through to slaughter in their second year is being developed by the Dawn Meats Group.

THE usage by farmers of the major nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on grassland and agricultural crops is at its lowest level in decades.

COMMUNITIES devastated by some of the worst floods in living memory were last night bracing themselves for a further deluge.

Some of the areas worst hit by floods have been washed out after almost four times the normal rainfall fell in the last seven days.

Many parts of the country experienced their wettest July for more than 50 years, Met Eireann said today.

ONE of the leading figures in the Irish meat industry, Dan Browne, has been honoured by the Agricultural Science Association.

Despite almost triple rainfall levels in Dublin in August, Ireland is in no danger of sinking into the sea, an expert claimed today.

WET and windy as a tinker’s cat. As if we hadn’t noticed, Met Éireann has confirmed that July was mostly a miserable month with a cool and wet start and a muggy and wet end to proceedings.

June’s downpours, storms and frost broke long-standing records around the country, Met Éireann said today.

INCREASED efforts are being made to encourage more of the country’s 135,000 farmers to consider going the organic route to meet consumer demands.

THE spectacular grounds of Johnstown Castle was the setting for the opening of the 56th Wexford opera festival last night, as men in dapper evening dress and women in fine flowing dresses soaked up the evening sunshine and music on the castle lawn.

TEAGASC, in association with the Department of Agriculture, is organising a series of 15 organic farm walks over the summer.