Signpost Demonstration Farmers Kerry / Limerick

Dairy farmers

Dairy Farmers

Sean Barry, Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick

Seans main enterprise is dairying, milking 67 cows. He is farming 53.39ha. Overall stocking rate was 153kg organic N/Ha in 2020. EBI of the herd is €159 & the heifers are €189. 6 week calving rate is 93%. Cows produced 495kg MS/cow in 2020. Soil type is heavy with 3-4in of top soil over blue clay.

Current farm update

David O’Leary, Cordal, Co. Kerry

David farms 34ha on a leased block near Castleisland. The milking platform is 33.5ha. Stocking rate on the milking block is 2.56LU/ha.

Current farm update

Declan, Eileen & Kieran Murphy, Newpark, Effin, Co. Limerick

Declan, Eileen & Kieran farm 76Ha; 21 are leased. They milk 140 cows. The EBI of the 2019 & 2020 born replacements is €183 & €202. They use protected urea & are planning on using low emission slurry spreading & including clover in new reseeded ground.

Current farm update

Dermot & Michael Kavanagh, Lispole, Co. Kerry

Micheal & Dermot are farming in partnership for 2 years. They farm 39ha. It is a high production herd. The milk sub-index is €73 & fertility sub-index is €52. Replacement stock born in 2019 & 2020 are average EBIs over €200.

Current farm update

Gerry & Niall Moloney, Crecora, Co. Limerick

Gerry & Niall are farming together for the last 5 years. They farm 101.2ha; 61.1ha are on the milking block. They milk 172 cows. Niall won the Young Grassland Farmer of the Year 2019 award.

Current farm update

Joe Carroll, Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

Joe farms by the coast near Ballyheigue. The farm is 25.5ha; 7ha are leased for replacements & silage. He has corrected a lot of the soil fertility & is focused on maintaining optimum covers for the cows throughout the year. Herd size is 80 cows.

Current farm update

John & Michael Casey, Causeway, Co. Kerry

John & Michael are farming in a milk production partnership since 2018. They farm 65.4ha; 24.7ha is leased. There are 26.4ha on the milking block & the other 2 blocks are used for silage & rearing of replacements & non-dairy stock.

Current farm update

John Galvin, Sackville, Ardfert, Co. Kerry

John started farming in Ardfert 5 years ago. He was the Grass Coach for the Teagasc Grass10 programme in 2019. He is currently milking 55 cows on 18.6ha on the milking platform.

Current farm update

Michael & Alex McCarthy, Feenagh, Co. Limerick

Michael & Alex are farming together for the last 3 years. They farm 107ha; 44 are leased. Theymilk 167 cows. Replacements born in 2020 have an EBI of €211.

Current farm update

Patrick & Paula O’Hanlon, Tarbert, Co. Kerry

Patrick and Paula are farming 70ha; 60 are owned & 38.5 is dedicated to the milking block. Their aim is to improve the environmental & financial sustainability of their farm business by improving soil fertility; growing & utilising more pasture; grass measuring and improving grazing infrastructure; while also improving farm building infrastructure.

Current farm update

Stephen McAuliffe, Templeglantine, Co. Limerick

Stephen & his brother Brian farm together near Loughill. There is 85ha on the milking block & the outside block is used for rearing replacements & silage. 40ha of the milking block are good & the remainder is challenging. They milk 168 cows..

Current farm update

William Dennehy, Currow, Co. Kerry

William farms on the banks of River Brown Flesk. He farms 43.6ha; 16.7 are leased. In 2019 he received a grassland merit award for investment in grazing infrastructure. Replacement animals are contract reared during the grazing periods & returned to the farm for winter months.

Current farm update