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 Late Joe Murray R.I.P. The death has taken place of Mr Joe Murray, the former head of agricultural programmes at RTÉ.
Mr Murray, from outside Roscrea, Co Tipperary, passed away yesterday evening at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin, aged 74.
Joe joined RTÉ in the 1960’s taking charge of agricultural programmes in 1969, following the late Justin Keating‘s elevation to the post of Labour Party Cabinet minister.
Joe retired in 2000, returning to RTÉ for a period in 2001 to assist with RTÉ’s coverage of the foot-and-mouth outbreak of that year.
An award winning journalist over a period of almost three decades, Joe fronted the popular television programmes On the Land and Landmark, and radio programmes which included Farm Week and other documentaries on RTÉ radio, winning the “Agricultural Journalist of the Year “ award on a number of occasions.
He is survived by his wife Toni, daughters Isobel and Susan and five grandchildren. His funeral mass will take place in Foxrock, Dublin, on Saturday morning next.
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.
 Shane McEntee TD Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety Shane McEntee today announced the payment of the 2011 annual forestry premiums, which involve the payment of €56.2 million to just over 11,500 forest owners.
Under the Forestry Programme, forestry premiums are payable each year for twenty years as in the case of farmers and for fifteen years as in the case of non-farmers.
The Minister of State, who was recently assigned the portfolio on forestry, stated that forestry provides a welcome income stream for owners, the majority of whom are farmers. In addition to the amount received each year in premiums, forest owners can look forward to returns from thinning and the clear-fell of their particular plantation.
Forestry, is an indigenous industry, providing a wider ranging and long term economic return through provides jobs, both directly and indirectly thus contributing to our export performance. It also provides huge benefits to the environment and also provides recreation and amenity value to our society in general.
Acorn Recycling, located close to the village of Littleton, near Thurles, in Co Tipperary, is presently considered one of the most advanced composting facilities of its kind in both Ireland or Britain, with regard to the treatment and recycling of Biological Waste.
The company is now expected to expand its operations considerably further in the coming years, following the granting of a licence from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Environmental Protection Agency, to produce a nutrient-rich compost.
The company just opened their €7 million, state-of-the-art plant last June 2010 and currently employ eight full time staff, in their present operation.
The Companies raw material, for the manufacture of this compost product, is derived from domestic organic waste bin collection and food waste residue. This raw material is treated at 70° Celsius, prior to curing and the scientific process effectively replaces the unwelcome use of landfill as a means of managing and disposing of such organic material, as in the past.
The company presently produces 13,000 tonnes of compost per year and sells this now odourless compost in bulk to customers who can collect directly from the plant, or in some cases the company will also deliver its product within a specified radius of the production plant itself.
This now easily affordable, high-end organic product is particularly suitable for use in horticulture, agriculture, domestic gardens and sports fields.
This news will be seen by environmentalists, nationally, as a welcome step forward in how we manage our Biodegradable Waste, currently coming daily from schools, hotels, canteens, restaurants and other food service outlets for disposal.
 Clik Pour-On All Ireland and International Sheep Shearing Championships. County Tipperary and Thurles are expected to gain a significant lift in terms of Revenue spin-off, if an expected 10,000 or more visitors gather for the Clik Pour-On, All Ireland and International Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships. The event just across the border in Kilkenny, is taking place over this coming June bank holiday weekend and will be held at the Cillín Hill exhibition centre, a 28-acre agribusiness development, owned and operated by Kilkenny Co-operative Livestock Market Ltd.
Details of the event, which will see competitors from all parts of Ireland, from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and mainland Europe, were confirmed yesterday in Kilkenny. The event will coincides with the long-established Cats Laugh Comedy Festival, in the city.
The National Sheep Breeders Association confirmed a number of its breed societies will host the All Ireland championships at the event and it is likely that the Young Sheep Farmer competition will also be staged.
The organisers predict the championships will be a massive revenue-spinner in tourism terms for the Southeast and surrounding counties. The two-day festival will also be a major showcase for Trade, with Craft and Food exhibitors being offered exhibition space at very affordable rates.
Mr Michael Nolan, chairman of the organising committee, said the focus would be on helping craft exhibitors and indigenous artisan producers, showcase their quality goods, without having to spend a fortune.
Irish Farmers’ Association president, Mr John Bryan said the championships would attract farmers from all over the country. He forecast: “Higher lamb prices and additional direct payments have helped restore huge confidence to the sheep sector and it is essential that strong lamb prices during 2010 are now continued into 2011.”
Earlier this week meat plants paid sheep farmers up to 600c/kg for the first of this years spring lambs.
This year’s International Miss Macra Festival will be held from Thursday July 28th to Monday 1st August 2011. The festival is organised annually by Clonoulty Rossmore Macra, and will once again be held in the magnificent surroundings of the Dundrum House Hotel and Golf Resort here in Co. Tipperary.
Irish Beauty Festivals or pageants, as tourist attraction or festival themes, have for the most part died the death throughout this country, but two such events continue to stand the test of time and continue to flourish, namely The Rose of Tralee and the International Miss Macra Festival.
The main reasons for the mammoth and continued success of these festivals, possibly lies in the fact that the emphasis is not just on physical beauty alone, latter which I hasten to add, is very prominent in both, but judging in the afore mentioned festivals places an accent more on internal beauty and true qualification, which always demands a closer examination of those ‘lovelies’ who choose to enter the competition.
For International Miss Macra, this year is a very special one, as the festival make plans to celebrate it’s 40th birthday. It has been 40 years of learning, 40 years of mixed financial fortunes and 40 years of dedicated voluntary hard work, undertaken by an enthusiastic and dedicated Macra membership.
As part of their 40 Years Celebration this year, Clonoulty Rossmore Macra are poised to send invitations to all past winners of the festival. They look forward to welcoming previous contestants and their supporters back to Tipperary, to relive what was surely a memorable weekend in their lives during those past 40 years.
With selection processes underway for this year’s representatives, the club intend to have contestants once again from the four corners of Ireland as well as from overseas.
Promises to be an exciting weekend.
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