Meath Macra Finalists

Meath Macra are very proud to announce their finalists for the following competitions:

Impromptu Public Speaking, Micheal Bennett.

Debating, Athboy Macra and North Meath Macra will be representing us in the next round of debating.

Bowling, Moynalty Macra.

A great night was had by all. Best of luck to those representing the county in the competitions. You will do us PROUD!

Micheal Bennett- Impromptu Public Speaking Finalist

Moynalty Macra- Bowling finalists 

North Meath Macra- Debating representatives in the finals

Eamon Cassells hosts Meath Macra Stock Judging workshop

Meath Macra Members who attended the workshop

On September 3rd, Meath Macra attended a Beef  Stock Judging workshop, to prepare for the county round of the competition in the coming weeks. The workshop was held by Eamon Cassells on his Farm in Athboy. Beef stock judged in the workshop were; Angus, Parthenaise, Herefords and Limousines. Meath Macra would like to thank all who attended, and especially Eamon Cassells for hosting the workshop. 

Meath Macra travelled down to Limerick

From left to right (standing)

Alan Beirne, Joanna Gargan, Micheal Bennett, Darren Dowdall, Dwane Lynch, Matthew Brady, Dermot Connolly, Sean Corrigan, Claire Gough, Adam Burke and Luna Orofiamma.

From Left to right (seated)

Siobhan Kearney, Sean Finan (Macra President), Ciaran Kearney and Orla Lenehan. 

Meath Macra travelled down to Limerick for County Officer training on the 28th of August. What a great weekend was had by all! We would like to congratulate Alan Beirne on his bronze award for County Treasurer and Darran Smyth on his silver award for County Chairperson for Social, Travel, and Sports. 

Alan Beirne and Sean Finan (Macra President) 

Darran Smyth and Sean Finan (Macra President)

Top 14 Macra Clubs Announced – AIB Club of the Year

The elite group of top Macra clubs in the country have been announced. These clubs will go through to the semi-final of Macra’s AIB Club of the Year competition.

They are:

· Ballinascarthy Macra, Carbery, Co. Cork

· Ballylanders Macra, Co. Limerick

· Berrings Macra, Muskerry, Co. Cork

· Carrigaline Macra, Seandun, Co. Cork

· Croom Macra, Co. Limerick

· Freemount Macra, Avondhu, Co. Cork

· Johnstown Coolgreany Macra, Co. Wicklow

· Glanmire Macra, Seandun, Co. Cork

· Moynalty Macra, Co. Meath

· North Dublin Macra, Co. Dublin

· Trebler R Macra, Dublin

· Crossmahon Bandon, Carbery, Co. Cork (Best emerging club)

· Estuary Macra, Co. Limerick (Best emerging club)

· St Mullins, Co. Carlow (Best emerging club)

The AIB Club of the Year title recognises Macra clubs’ achievements throughout the year, and it is the highest accolade a club can achieve. Crossmahon Bandon Macra, Estuary Macra and St Mullins Macra are competing in the ‘Best Emerging Club’ category.

The 14 clubs will now go forward to participate in the national semi final of the AIB Club of the Year competition. From the top 14 clubs, seven are chosen to go on to the national final which will take place at the Macra na Feirme annual conference which will be held this year in the Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, Co. Carlow on the 26^th October.

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.