MEATH WOMAN IS UNDER 23 IRISH DAIRY BOARD DAIRY STOCKJUDGING RUNNER-UP

Thursday, 21st June 2012 - The national final of Macra’s Irish Dairy Board Dairy Stock judging competition took place at the Irish Holstein Friesian Association Open Day in Kilkenny on June 20th.

Tara  Heaney, Kilberry, Navan, runner-up in the under 23 competition

Runner-up in the Under 23 competition was Tara Heaney from Meath. The Under-23 competition was won by Padraig Murphy from Kilkenny.

The dairy stockjudging competition takes the form of an academic test followed by the score-marking in order of merit of a pen of heifers and a pen of cows. Competitors are also interviewed on their overall grading of the animals and must answer questions on the technical aspects of dairy farming. 

Speaking at the event, Macra na Feirme Competitions Committee Chairperson, Flor O’Gorman said, “This year’s competition was outstanding with the standard of entrants being very high. I’d like to thank the Irish Dairy Board for their continued support of the competition. I'd also like to thank Dessie Delaney and Kevin Behan from IHFA who assisted in the judging of the competition. This competition is a great opportunity for young farmers to become skilled at assessing livestock and it prepares them for the actual job of buying and selling farm animals. Stock judging also broadens the young farmers’ knowledge of new developments in stock breeding, husbandry and disease control.”

The two overall winners have won a place on the annual Macra prize winners trip in Autumn.

TWO RUNNERS-UP PLACES FOR MEATH MACRA IN TALENT FINAL IN THE HELIX

Wednesday, the 23^rd May - Athboy’s second place in Pop / Folk / Ballad Group and Kilcloon’s Claire Burke’s runner-up in Mastermind were the highlights of Meath Macra’s involvement in the National Final of the 2012 Macra National Talent Competition in The Helix Theatre, Dublin last Saturday night 19^th May. The competition, now in its 28^th year, comprises eight separate events namely Disco Dancing, Solo Instrumental Music, Novelty Act, Solo Singing, Mastermind, Set Dancing, Comedy and Pop / Folk / Ballad Group. There were four finalists in each event in The Helix Theatre and following the two national semi-finals, one of which was in Summerhill, Meath qualified for The Helix in five of the events.

Kilcloon Macra’s Anne Murphy from Colistown, Kilcloon was Meath’s first performer on stage when she appeared in Solo Singing. She gave a very fine rendition of the Adele song ‘Hometown Glory’ on which she accompanied herself on guitar but in an event of very high quality in which there was very little between the four finalists Anne lost out to winner Anne Marie Kavanagh from Clodagh, Co. Tipperary and runner-up Anabel Cordoba from Treble R, Co. Dublin. The other finalist was Emma Conroy of Camross, Co. Laois.

Moynalty were appearing in their first ever National Talent Final when they took the stage in the Novelty Act event. Their team of Michael Bennett, Matthew Brady, Sean Corrigan and Darren Dowdall  gave a fine performance of their sketch entitled ‘Airplane’ but again finished out of the top two in an event won by Cushinstown, Co. Wexford with Balyna / Carbury in second place. The other finalists were Donoughmore, Co. Cork.

Kilcloon’s second appearance of the night came courtesy of Pacetown girl Claire Burke who was appearing in the Mastermind section at the National Final for the third time, having been runner-up in 2010 and also in the Final the previous year. Claire’s specialist topic was Cinema and after the first 90 second speed round on specialist topics she was in the lead having scored a brilliant 16 points to lead by one point from John Dineen of Aghinagh, Co. Cork whose specialist topic was Current Affairs. However the eighteen year old Cork contestant scored another 15 points in the second speed round on general knowledge to give him a brilliant winning total of 30 points, six ahead of Claire Burke who got eight points in her second round to finish second on 24 points, an excellent score but just not good enough on a night when the young Corkman was in brilliant form. The other finalists were from Togher, Co. Louth and Clodagh, Co. Tipperary.

The Ardcath duo of Nicholas Coyle and Paddy Morris got plenty of laughs for their Comedy routine but finished out of the top two in an event won by a female duo from Berrings, Co. Cork with Emma Phelan from Camross, Co. Laois in second place. The other finalists were a duo from Balyna / Carbury, Co. Kildare.

Athboy have a great record in the Pop / Folk Ballad Group section over the years with six titles, a number of runners-up positions and other Final appearances also. They were reigning champions going in to this year’s Final and once again the group of Caoimhe Leavy, Claire Gough, Celine Smyth, Sarah Beirne, Jenny Faulkner and Aoife Mooney performed brilliantly and gave excellent renditions of their two songs ‘Heart Like a Wheel’ and ‘Catch a Falling Star’ but lost out narrowly to a very fine group from Berrings, Co. Cork. The other finalists were from Balyna / Carbury, Co. Kildare and Bree, Co. Wexford.

Meath’s many performers certainly did themselves, their clubs and their county proud in what was a great night’s entertainment. Claire Burke and the Athboy Ballad group were presented with engraved Dublin Crystal runners-up trophies by Macra President Alan Jagoe on stage at the end of the night.  

Four Meath Macra clubs bid for Talent glory in The Helix

Meath will be represented in no less than five of the eight sections which comprise Macra na Feirme’s National Talent Competition when the National Final takes place in The Helix Theatre, Dublin this Saturday night 19th May commencing at 6.30 pm. This is the 28th year of the competition which comprises eight entirely separate events namely Disco Dancing, Solo Instrumental Music, Solo Singing, Novelty Act, Mastermind, Set Dancing, Comedy and Pop / Folk / Ballad Group. The Royal County’s finalists qualified from the recent national semi-final held in Summerhill. The National Final features four individuals or groups in each event.

Anne Murphy, Kilcloon

Four different Macra clubs are involved in Meath’s bid for glory on Saturday night. Kilcloon are doubly involved. Anne Murphy from Colistown, Kilcloon competes in Solo Singing and will be attempting to win that club’s third Solo Singing title following Clara Monahan’s double success in 2004 and 2006. Anne’s opponents on Saturday night come from Clodagh, Co. Tipperary, Treble R, Co. Dublin and Camross, Co. Laois.

Claire Burke, Kilcloon

Kilcloon’s second representative is Claire Burke from Pacetown, Kilcloon who competes in Mastermind. Claire, whose specialist topic is Cinema, appears in her third Final having previously reached the Finals in 2009 and 2010, coming second in the latter. Incidentally her first cousin Owen won Mastermind in 2009. Claire’s opponents on Saturday night come from Aghinagh, Co. Cork, Togher, Co. Louth and Clodagh, Co. Tipperary.

Sean Corrigan, Darren Dowdall, Micheal Bennett, Matthew Brady

Moynalty appear in their first ever National Talent Final when a quartet from the club compete in the Novelty Act against groups from Donoughmore, Co. Cork, Balyna / Carbury, Co. Kildare and Cushinstown, Co. Wexford. The Moynalty quartet comprises Darren Dowdall, Matthew Brady, Sean Corrigan and Michael Bennett.Incidentally Novelty Act is one of only two National Talent events in which Meath has never won the title.

Nicholas Coyle, Paddy Morris, Ardcath

A duo from Ardcath Macra carry Meath’s hopes in the Comedy section. Paddy Morris and Nicholas Coyle are one of three duos in the Final. The others come from Balyna / Carbury, Co. Kildare and Berrings, Co, Cork while the fourth finalist is a solo performer from Camross, Co. Laois.










A Macra National Talent Final without Athboy is a rare occurrence and has in fact only happened in two of the twenty eight Finals. This year they appear in one of their specialty events, Pop / Folk / Ballad Group in which they are the reigning champions and in which they have won six of their record total of twenty two National Talent titles. The team comprises Caoimhe Leavy, Claire Gough, Celine  Smyth, Sarah Beirne, Jenny Faulkner and Aoife Mooney.

Jenny Faulker, Sarah Beirne, Claire Gough, Celine, Symth, Aoife Mooney, Caoimhe Leary

Saturday night in The Helix Theatre promises to be a wonderful occasion as scores of Macra members from no less than twenty one different clubs in twelve counties showcase their considerable entertainment talents in the National Final of one of the country’s longest running and most renowned amateur talent competitions. The Macra National Talent Final has established itself as a showpiece occasion of wonderful talent, splendid variety, embracing a large range of entertainment disciplines, and great excitement as groups from all over the 26 Counties vie for the eight national titles on offer. Meath Macra will be excellently represented by the performers from Ardcath, Moynalty, Kilcloon and Athboy and they will carry the good wishes of the whole county as they bid to add to the county’s current haul of thirty two National Talent titles, just two behind table-toppers Cork.

Tickets for Saturday night can be booked from Richard Harrahill on 046-9025023 / 087-2367941 or direct from The Helix on 01-7007000 or www.thehelix.ie. The Meath performers will be hoping for plenty of support from the Royal County in what promises to be a memorable night’s entertainment.

Kerrygold Club Question Time Final 2012

Richie Hayes, Alan Beirne, Sarah Beirne & Darran Smyth of Athboy Macra

Athboy Macra were Meath's representatives at the 2012 national final of Macra’s Kerrygold Club Question Time competition. The event, held in the Hamlet Hotel, Johnstown Bridge on February 18, saw 32 Macra teams from all over the country competing for the prestigious title and a place on the Macra prize-winners trip.

The Athboy team of Alan Beirne, Sarah Beirne, Richie Hayes and Darran Smyth finished just nine points behind the early leaders and eventual winners from the Clodagh Macra club in North Tipp. 

Speaking at the competition, Macra National President Alan Jagoe said, “The Kerrygold Club Question Time competition is a great chance for members to test their general knowledge and meet new people. I’d like to thank our sponsors, Kerrygold, for their support for a fun and challenging competition.”

Young Farmers' Trip to the West

John Biggins of McHale Engineering, front right, with Meath Macra's YFDG 

Mayo and the West were the destination on January 27th for a group of Meath Macra members as they set off to tour the McHale and Malone Engineering Works. The trip, organised by Meath Macra's Young Farmers' Development Group, also included members from Dublin and Sligo Macra na Feirme. 

Mike Malone of Malone Engineering, centre, with Meath Macra's YFDG

The first stop in the tour was Malone Engineering, where Mike Malone gave the assembled group an impressive and informative tour of the premises. Demonstrating the company's silage wagons, trailed mowers, 3 point linkage mowers, post drivers and log splitters, the tour offered the group a valued overview of the manufacturing machinery industry. 

The next destination was Mc Hale Engineering in Ballinrobe. Here John Biggins lead the group on a tour of the factory where they were able to see Fusion 2 balers on the production line. Watching as each one rolled off the line and undergoing  rigourous testing to ensure they were ready for sale. This was only one of three production lines, with square bale wrappers and round bale wrappers being produced and tested on the other two lines beside it. Secretary of the Young Farmers' Development Group, Nicholas Coyle described the tour as "a very educational insight into what it takes to put the machines we take for granted in fields to perform for us year in year out.'

Meath Macra's Stars of the Stage

The cast and crew from Enfield Macra's production of 'Pvt Wars'. Back row (l-r) - Colin Burke, Dermot Connolly, Simon Ford. Front row (l-r) - Kevin Hanley, Adam Burke and Claire Lewis.

After many months of rehearsals, the casts of Enfield and Ardcath Macra were richly rewarded when they took home first and second place respectively in the Meath county round of Macra na Feirme's amateur drama competition. Both teams now go through to represent the county in the national semi-finals taking place over two nights on March 31 and April 1, 2012.

The competition, which took place on Sunday February 19 in St James' Hall Athboy, also saw Enfield's Dermot Connolly awarded Best Actor for his role as Woodruff Gately in 'Pvt. Wars', with Ardcath awarded Best Production for their play 'Bad Sunday'. Athboy's Aisling Kearney received the Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Ma Kirby in 'The Happy Journey'. Commenting on the extremely high standard of both production and performance, the judges praised the actors, actresses and backstage crew, adding that it had made their decisions that much harder.

The cast from Ardcath Macra's production of 'Bad Sunday'. Back row (l-r) - Aisling Lawless, Theresa Murray, Leo Collins. Front row - John Kinsella and Angela Wall.

Enfield Macra opened with 'Pvt. Wars', a play dealing three Vietnam veterans recuperating in an Army hospital. Combining humour and compassion with uncompromising honesty, the play follows the irreverent doings of its exceptionally engaging characters and proved popular with both audience and judges alike.

Following Enfield was Athboy and their play - 'The Happy Journey'. In this family drama, Pa and Ma Kirby venture out of Newark with their two children, Caroline and Arthur, to visit their married daughter Beulah in Camden. Their journey punctuated by talk, laughter and memories. The minimal production, relying on a largely mimed set, proved another hit capturing the heart and imagination of the audience.

After the intermission, Ardcath took to the stage perform 'Bad Sunday', a comedy mining the once hallowed tradition of the Sunday drive to darkly comic effect. Da, Ma, Granny, Son and Daughter all piling into a borrowed Ford Zephyr for a daytrip to Howth Head. As their journey progresses ever eastwards, each member of the family begins to reveal their secrets, often to the surprise and disbelief of the rest.

The final play of the afternoon was 'The Pushcart Peddlers' performed by Carnaross Macra. Fresh from the country, the greenhorn Shimmel Shitzman meets the older, wiser Cornelius and is convinced to buy the latter's pushcart business. Complications arise, however, when Cornelius returns with another pushcart and proceeds to compete with Shimmel.

Enfield Macra - 'Pvt. Wars' 

Athboy Macra - 'The Happy Journey'

Ardcath Macra - 'Bad Sunday'

Carnaross Macra - 'The Pushcart Peddlers'

An Introduction To Meath Macra na Feirme

Macra na Feirme is a voluntary organisation for young people between the ages of 17 and 35. The organisation consists of a nationwide network of clubs with six key areas of activity: agriculture, sports, travel, public speaking, performing arts and community involvement. Macra na Feirme is committed to the personal development of members and puts emphasis on social interaction and participation.

Macra na Feirme was founded in 1944 by Stephen Cullinan, a rural science teacher. While the organisation's original purpose was to provide young farmers with adequate training to ensure their livelihood and to provide an outlet for socialising in rural areas, today Macra represents the wider rural youth community. Campaigning on a broader range of rural issues affecting the young people of Ireland.

There are currently eight clubs in Meath - Ardcath, Athboy, Carnaross, Enfield, Kilcloon, Longwood, Moynalty and North Meath. Meath Macra also organises the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival which is regarded as one of the top attractions in the North East.

For more information and links to upcoming events, please visit our Facebook page or follow @MeathMacra on Twitter.