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Pictured are Thomas and John Stone, Moate, EBI Award winner, Over 70 Section; Michael Kiernan, Navan, EBI Award winner, Spring Section; and Martin Harty representing Kieran Harty, Ballyheigue, EBI Award winner, Under 70 Section; at the IHFA National Open Day 2015 at Friarstown, Crecora, at the Lisnalty Herd owned by the Hannon family
National Herds Competition First Prize winners, l/r: Leitrim man Gordon Richardson, Greenvale Animal Feeds, sponsors of the National Herds Competition with Eamon McLoughney, Nenagh, (1st Spring Section), Richard Whelan, Clonard, (1st Under 70 Section), Paul Hannan, Crecora, (1st Over 70 Section)
Trevor Lockhart from the Donegal Club, winner of the Jack McCullough Trophy for the Highest Individual Winner ( 26 years & over Section) receives the award from Phil Healy, of sponsors, Kerry Co-Op / Agribusiness; at the IHFA National Open Day 2015 at Friarstown, Crecora, Co. Limerick
straight from school. After I did my Leaving Cert, all I wanted to do was be a farmer.” Paul, who singlehandedly oversees every aspect of the dairy enterprise, is married to Eileen and the couple have three children of their own – Bill, Jane and Claire. Going forward, Paul’s goals are modest – a 25% increase in herd size: “I’m not aiming to double in size or anything like that,” he notes. “Our aim is to milk 150 good cows. It’s like a football team, everybody has to perform. And I’m a harsh coach: a heifer has to milk five gallons after six weeks. We don’t sell any of our heifers at mart – we keep them all.” The herd is 100% Holstein Friesian. The switch dates back over 25 years to when the first cow was purchased in England in 1989. “It produced higher volumes and there was more inside the bulk tank,” says Paul. “That mean more money and that’s where my love of them came from, to be honest.” Paul adds that dairy farming is his passion IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI
in life. He loves looking after the cows and would do it for free … but the money helps! The Hannans produce their own baled silage, with no additives. “John looks after this. We only do bale silage. We cut it at seven weeks, ted it out, row it in and bale it. He also contracts that work as well. We run all Massey Ferguson tractors and Lely baling equipment. “Roches Feeds in Limerick do our diets for the cows. Paddy McCarthy and Paul Hennessy look after that for me. Apart from buying the feed in, we are totally self-sufficient. We have one other lad working with us. Sean has been here 18 years and is part of the furniture at this stage. He even gets up with us on Christmas morning!” As the man whose vision has brought the Hannan family farm’s dairy enterprise to the next level upon assuming the reins from his father, Paul says there will be no let-up in the relentless quest for maximum quality: “We’ve had our open day and had a very successful sales day but we’re not going to rest on our laurels,” he concludes. “We’ll keep it going. “We’ll get up to 150 cows inside the next three years and that will be it in terms of growth. But we’ll continue to focus on quality. If I could have 150 good cows, I’d be delighted with that.”
National Herds Competition, sponsored by Greenvale Animal Feeds the Judges Choice award winners were, l/r: Joseph Cocoman, Kill, 1st place; Richard Whelan, Clonard, 2nd place; Victor Jackson representing Dermot Jackson, Kiltegan, 3rd place, at the IHFA National Open Day
Interclub Stockjudging (26 years & over) sponsored by Kerry Coop Agribusiness 1st place winners were the North Eastern Club. Pictured are Phil Healy, Kerry Co-Op / Agribusines (sponsors) with Thomas Daly (Navan), Leo Nulty (Slane) and Brendan Mennis (Navan)
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