Farmers protest at bank

UP to 250 IFA members staged a protest outside the Bank of Ireland, in Tralee, Co Kerry, yesterday over losses suffered by farmers following the closure of the Tralee Beef and Lamb meat factory.

Three hundred creditor farmers claim they are owed €3.5 million after the collapse of the company.

IFA deputy president Ruairi Deasy said farmers were the people left high and dry by the banks, which had made profits on the backs of farmers.

“This is an injustice and the message being sent from here today is that the farmers are not going away. They’re going to wait until they get justice,” he told the protestors.

However, well-known retired farmer Willie Spring, from Castlemaine, Co Kerry, claimed the IFA was misleading farmers and giving them false hope. He said they would get nothing from the bank.

“Both the IFA and ICMSA should have seen the fall of Tralee Beef and Lamb at least a year and half before it happened and should have acted accordingly in the best interests of farmers,” he maintained.