skip to main content

EAR TO THE GROUND

Darragh McCullough and beef farmer Sean Gormley - Ear to the Ground, programme eleven. Thursday January 17th. Image Name: Darragh McCullough and beef farmer Sean Gormley - Ear to the Ground, programme eleven. Thursday January 17th.
Presenter Helen Carroll with siblings Alison and Robert de Vere Hunt . (03)Ear to the Ground, (programme 11), Thursday January 17th. Image Name: Presenter Helen Carroll with siblings Alison and Robert de Vere Hunt . (03)Ear to the Ground, (programme 11), Thursday January 17th.
Presenter Ella McSweeney and Gerard Deegan (03)Ear to the Ground, programme 11.(Thursday January 17th). Image Name: Presenter Ella McSweeney and Gerard Deegan (03)Ear to the Ground, programme 11.(Thursday January 17th).

Cashel Mart

In December 2012, well known Tipperary farmer and Mart owner Philip de Vere Hunt died by suicide, leaving his wife Annette and five adult children devastated at his loss at the age of just 64. Now seven years on from that tragic night, Annette, along with two of his children Robert and Alison have worked hard to keep the business thriving.

Helen Carroll met the family on a busy mart day in Cashel to find out what drove them on following the death of Philip, and how they threw themselves into work to such a degree that it took years to come to terms with the grief of his loss.

Gerard Deegan  
It’s not often that you see a dairy farmer replacing his cows with trees. But that’s exactly what Gerard Deegan has done on his 145 acre organic farm in Co Westmeath.

In 2012, as Gerard approached an age when most people begin to think about retiring, he wondered what he was going to do to continue to make an income from his farm as he got older. The solution for him was to plant it. He now has 100 acres of broadleaf such as Sycamore, Oak, Ash and Beech, and Conifers including Norway Spruce, Scots Pine and European Larch. Ella McSweeney went to visit Gerard on his farm in Cloghanumera to see how his woodlands are progressing.

The Battle for Cattle
Angry at low cattle prices, and frustrated by red tape, Irish beef farmers are getting together behind their own Beef Plan. Using social media, they have recruited over 10,000 cattle farmers to the cause and drafted an 86 point plan to secure the future of the Irish beef industry.

For Roscommon suckler farmer Sean Gormley, it’s a last ditch attempt to restore a profit to his farm. Meath farmer Hugh Doyle aims to organise purchasing groups in every county to cut farmers costs, and then to establish producer groups to control the supply of cattle to the factories. “We have to stick together” he says, “Otherwise there’s no future for beef farmers”.

Darragh McCullough visits Sean’s farm in Flegans and goes to Ballinasloe Mart where 400 farmers gathered to vent their anger at the system.

Ear to the Ground broadcasts on RTÉ One, Thursdays at 7pm. Repeat 13.10pm Sunday.

Produced by indiepics for RTÉ.

Press Queries:

TVPR
Ann Coughlan 00 353 87 6778045
Pauline Cronin 00 353 87 2629967