Farm safety is a key issue for Irish farmers. Unfortunately many lives were lost and severe injuries sustained on Irish farms last year.
An intensive safety awareness initiative is currently underway in Ireland to help save lives.
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The Irish Farmer's Journal
The Irish Farmers Journal is a weekly agricultural newspaper which I remember well from my childhood days. Although I was raised in Dublin, I hail from a long, long line of County Cork farmers on both my mother's and father's sides of the family.
The content of this weekly publication is agriculture to the core. The editors of the journal stay at the cusp of major farming developments, and highlight issues of importance for Irish farmers today.
When I was contacted about the possibility of using my website to share information about farm safety, at first I thought, this topic is not in keeping with my blog's storyline and theme. Then I gave more thought to this serious situation, and realized sharing this information is of extreme importance.
Like me, many of you hail from a long line of Irish or American farmers, and I believe you have a wonderful appreciation for rural customs, farming and the importance of agriculture to our shared cultural heritage.
Irish Farm Safety
2014 was a horrendous year in terms of lives lost and injuries suffered on Irish farms. I hope that by publishing this informative graphic created by the Irish Farmers Journal, I may in some small way help to create awareness about the seriousness of this situation.
Even if you, as a reader of my blog, have never set foot on a farm, I hope you appreciate the importance of spreading this safety message.
A big thank you to Pat O'Keeffe, the News Editor for The Irish Farmers Journal, for sharing this piece with me. I truly hope that 2015 will be a safer one for Irish farmers and their loved ones.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more ramblings you might find interesting....
Marjorie Satterlee
So happy to see you stressing farm safety whether it be in Ireland the USA or elsewere. City folk just do not realize the dangers a farmer faces everyday in his or her work.
Irish American Mom
Thanks Marjorie - I think city folk can have a romanticized notion of what farming is like, but have no idea how difficult and how dangerous a job it truly is.
All the best,
Mairéad
Raymond Paul Brown
Dear Mairead,
I never dreamed that farming caused so many injuries in Ireland. I seem to learn something new each time I open your blog. It awakened me to what farmers have to go through since my family was not from an Irish farm. I now have more appreciation for what farmers have to go through. I had a dear friend who was raised on a Limerick farm, outside Charville, and I visited her on her brother's farm when I went back to see her many years ago. She and her sister did not get the farm, as traditions go in Ireland and they both became social workers. She told me her brother was going to a school to learn more about the soil and what to plant. Apparently, I think Limerick was a head of the game in further farming education from what I gathered. She did tell me that the male farmers have a hard time getting married. Her brother was about 34 and had no girlfriend. He was very shy she said and the young women today don't want to stay on the farm. (She lived in Cork.)
So, not only is it a dangerous job, but it's hard to get married for a young man that inherits the property. My hat trully goes off to these young and not so young farmers. They help us so much and they have a hard life.
Irish American Mom
Dear Ray - Farming is ever so important to Ireland's economy, and I truly do admire the work of farmers all over the world. We could not survive without them. I love to take my kids to Cork to visit our family farm. I hope they will gain an appreciation for the hard work of neighbors and their cousins.
I have also heard that it is difficult for farmers to meet potential spouses. A while back I reviewed a wonderful book by Lorna Sixsmith, the wife of a County Carlow farmer called "Would You Marry A Farmer?"
Lorna's book was funny and engaging. She included a section where she explored personal ads written by farmers in days gone by.
The Irish Press printed the following appeal on the 16th October 1946.
“Farmer, age 30, 40 acres, own farm, no encumbrance, would like to correspond with farmer’s daughter, age 25-30, good strong girl with view to above.”
I'd say "good, strong girls" are hard to come by these days.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ray Brown
Dear Mairead,
I laughed to hear your comment about "good, strong girls". I will try to get that book to read it if it is still in print. It reminds me of the first time I was in Ireland, with my brother in 1981, and we were traveling through as many counties as possible in the three weeks I was there. (My brother stayed much longer the first time.) We were listening to Irish music on the rented car radio for about two hours when the DJ said it was time for matchmaking. He had set up dates for a couple of people and then he said, "I really need to get a girl for this nice farmer from..." (It may have been from Cork or Donegal, but it could have been from another county, I don't remember.) He went on to say, "He really felt bad for the guy since he was set up with a date the weekend before, and he went on his tractor all the way to her house, about 10 Kilometers away (6.21 miles) and she did not show up". He continued, "Come on girls, this guy is very nice and wants to meet someone, I don't want the same thing to happen again." He then went on to describe the guy and he tried , but I did not hear any girls calling in saying they were interested. (I don't think the DJ was joking on this issue although he may, but it sounded solid based on the other girls that were interviewed on the station before he went back to the Irish music. My brother and I felt really sorry for the poor guy. It does go to show you that it can be hard to have a relationship if one is a farmer and they do so much for us.
Irish American Mom
Ray - I do believe Lorna is still selling her book.
As for a date on a tractor, that would have been right up my alley when I was younger. Isn't it funny how a radio program from many years ago stuck in your mind - the power of a good story. We're enjoying all of your tales from your trips to Ireland.
Mairéad
Jane
My great grandfather from Ireland was a farmer. However, even if I had no links to farming, I would applaud any postings that serve the public good. I really appreciate your blog and read every post.
Sincerely,
Jane
Irish American Mom
Thanks Jane for your kind words and for reading all of my posts. I truly appreciate readers like you who give me so much encouragement to continue on my blogging journey.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Raymond Brown
Thanks for all your wondeful comments Mairead.