‘Keeping cows out of the river is a brilliant job’

Dairy farming in Mullagh, Co. Cavan, Eamonn Gargan sees the benefits – both long term and short term – of implementing actions to improve water quality on his farm.

Adjoining the Borora River and featuring in the ‘From the Fields to the Boyne’ video series, Eamonn Gargan shares memories from early life, his family’s journey to Mullagh and the actions his taken at farm level in the video series filmed and edited by Matthew Walker.

Carrying 60 cows, a hedgerow has been established along the length of the Borora to catch nutrients. Clover incorporation and regular soil testing have also prioritised.

“We got everything soil sampled. I am a great believer in soil sampling and spreading lime. I think I’m getting better use of fertiliser – the little I’m using – because I have the pH right. Keeping lime spread, I think, is as important as the fertiliser,” Eammon explained.

Another action discussed was the construction of a bridge, providing access to land and reducing the risk of disturbance to the riverbed, with Eamonn Gargan explaining: “We walked the cows down through the river and up, that was the way we accessed it when we bought the land, and the cows came back and drank from the river.”

Over the years, and with permission granted from the fisheries board and Cavan County Council, Eamonn constructed a bridge that provided access and removed the need for cows to enter the river, as he explained: “Keeping the cows out of it, crossing and drinking, is a brilliant job.”

To provide drinking water, a solar pump was also installed, which also serves to power electric fences in that part of the farm.

For more, watch the full video below:

Also read: ‘It’s a privilege to be farming’

Also read: Farmers’ experiences front and centre in new water quality video series

Find out more about the Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign here.