Tolerance for a rural way of life

Some people moving from cities and towns to live in the countryside can be blissfully ignorant of the sounds and smells they will inevitably encounter.

Rural Ireland is not always a quiet idyll. Cows moo, often at night-time in winter when they are in sheds; there are constant bird and dog noises; tractors can be going at all hours, especially during the silage season. Worst of all, perhaps, is the pervasive stink of slurry being spread, often at this time of year.