Local Notes: National award for Aghamore dairy farm
Sinead Moran and Mick McGrath from Gleann Buí Farm, Aghamore picked up a bronze award for their raw milk at the recent Blas na hEireann awards.
An organic dairy farm located near Aghamore has been awarded a bronze medal in the Blas na hÉireann awards, an all-island annual competition for food producers.
“I think we're the first 'bottled raw milk' producer to win,” explained Sinead Moran, who runs Gleann Buí Farm with her partner Mick McGrath.
The farm sells raw milk direct to the public from a farm shop called the Bainne Barn.
“We are absolutely delighted to win the award for our 100% pasture-fed organic raw bainne [milk],” explained Sinead.
Gleann Buí Farm milks a 12-cow herd of Shorthorn cows.
“We are but simple farmers, bringing our gurls’ [cows’] bainne to people's tables," remarked Sinead. "To reach the finalist stage was just amazing, but to take home a bronze was, truly unexpected! We're chuffed.”
The award caps a challenging year weather-wise as the farm enters the last few weeks of the 2024 season.
“It’s been one of our best years as a food business [but] our toughest farming year,” explained Sinead. “It’s been a difficult growing season, with a slow Spring and cold June but we muddled through.
“Our farm collections have grown and grown in 2024. Our milk club is at full capacity for the rest of this season now. We will up the number of our little herd next year which will allow us to open the milk club and offer more raw cream and raw butter in 2025.”
Customers pre-order milk for farm collections. The couple operates an honesty box at the farm, charging €2.50 cash per litre of milk, and also staff the farm shop on Saturday and Sunday. Aside from on-farm sales, Gleann Buí also supplies a range of independent grocers including Hopkins' Shop in Ballyhaunis and Cafe Rua in Castlebar.
A security clamp down by Jordan on pro-Palestinian protestors has spurred a wave of ethnic Palestinians to leave the country and seek asylum in Ireland.
One of those who left, Kamal Allarr, now living in the international protection accommodation service (IPAS) centre in Ballyhaunis, explained how he arrived in Ireland six months ago after quitting Jordan where he was pursued by authorities for his activism as a member of a human rights group.
“I had to flee because I was pursued by the police,” he explained to this column.
Protests in Jordan over the Israeli bombardment of Gaza prompted the authorities in Amman to arrest over 1,000 people within a one-month period between October and November 2023 and charged some under a new cybercrimes law for social media posts expressing pro-Palestinian sentiments, according to Amnesty International. The Jordanian monarchy has long been worried by a surge of ethnic Palestinian refugees – today making up over half of Jordan’s 2.9 million population.
The Annagh Magazine Society reminds contributors that due to tight deadlines this year, any material received after Wednesday, October 16th, cannot be guaranteed inclusion in this year’s issue.
"Once again there has been a great response to appeals for articles, reports and photographs," said the society.
The editorial team hopes to have Annagh 2024 – the 47th issue of the publication - published on the first weekend in December.
Outstanding items should be emailed immediately to info@annaghmag.ie or submitted to any committee member: Seamus Mulrennan, Edward Mulhern, Nell Rochford, Tommy Caulfield, Noreen Ruane Dalton, Paul Waldron, Mike Griffin, Gabriel Smith and John Kilduff.
Pop-up shop coming to hall on October 19th and 20th
Quality clothes and other items will be offered at bargain prices at a pop-up shop in the Community Hall, Ballyhaunis on Saturday and Sunday, October 19th and 20th, from 10am to 5pm each day.
Run by Aghamore GAA, the shop will offer items including new and barely worn clothes for both men, women and children as well as shoes, belts, bags and some household items, according to the organisers.
“The collection will also include a fine choice of men's suits - some brand new," they said. "Tagged items will be selling at half price.”
All proceeds go to the Aghamore GAA Development Fund
St Mary’s Abbey, also known as the Friary, in Ballyhaunis is the venue for Melodies of Hope, a concert in support of Mayo Roscommon Hospice and organised by Aisling Lyons King and Cathy Lyons with a group of their very talented friends on Friday, October 25th, at 8pm.
Aisling and Cathy are established professional wedding performers as well as gigging at other events in the Mayo/Galway region for many years.
Both sisters work as music teachers and have drawn a following online with their perfect pitch, melodic harmonies and creative musicianship for well over a decade.
Melodies of Hope is a free admission concert but there will be a donation bucket for Mayo Roscommon Hospice as well as an online donation facility where all proceeds will go to the Hospice.
“A gift for those who have given most to us is to care for them on their final journey,” said Aisling. “Many families choose to avail of the services of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice who provide exceptional care and comfort to families who accompany their loved ones on that sacred path.
"The experience of their love and care has motivated a group of young talented and creative performers to come together to give a little love back to the Hospice and to pass a torch of gratitude that will also benefit others.”
The Lyons sisters will be accompanied by members from the band Hot Logic, namely Tom Murray and Barry Murray, who have a lively combination of music and vocal skills and perform on the music circuit around the country but particularly in West Mayo and Galway city. The audience will be treated to an abundance of musical riches from well known artists and bands such as Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Cranberries, Aretha Franklin, the Carpenters and many more.
They will also be joined by talented performers from Central Mayo in Adam Lyons, Ellie-Mai McGuinn, Clodagh Mellett, Jasmine Kenny, Amy Cunningham, Grace de Lacy and Grace Tuohy for a “unique blend of solo and choral chanson".
A major Ballyhaunis employer has warned of the impact of the hike to the minimum wage announced in the recent budget.
A new raise to the minimum wage, effective from January next, will pressure businesses, said Derek O’Connor, who runs the operations at the Clare Road facilities of B Pod Ireland.
“I can’t pass that on because the price on construction projects are typically agreed one year in advance,” said Derek. “The rise in the minimum wage has led to a spiral of demands for pay rises from other employees [on higher wages] coming on the back of a similar rise earlier this year."
The minimum wage (paid to employees over the age of 20) will rise by 80 cents from January 1st, 2025, bringing it to €13.50, following a rise in January of this year to €12.70.
Bpod, which supplies pre-assembled bathrooms into apartment and hotel developments across Ireland and the UK, is competing for workers in a tight labour market, said Derek.
“It’s hard to get workers. Ten years ago when we started out in Ballyhaunis our workforce was nearly 100% Irish; now it’s 60% foreign and 40% Irish. The level of the foreign lads in fairness is very, very good.”
Ballyhaunis has a massive shortage of rental accommodation, something that’s affecting recruitment because employees can’t afford to relocate, O’Connor explained.
Demand for Bpod’s products is so strong that O’Connor is now pricing for the 2026 market season, with the order book for 2025 already largely full. The company has benefited from the Government’s efforts to solve the housing shortage.
It has secured a contract from the Land Development Agency, a state entity acquiring land and properties to get homes built. The Government has become a major player in the property development sector, explained Derek.
“Private individuals and investors are however holding back until they see what way interest rates will go,” he explained.
The wider construction industry is faced with labour costs, which have “gone through the roof,” said Derek who’s planning on building his own house next year in Killala. In the construction industry, Derek has observed the prices of steel slacken off while the costs of concrete and timber as well as insulation materials are soaring, he said.
Congratulations to Ethna McGeehan, Williamstown, winner of €540 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on October 6th on an envelope sold in Delaney's pub.
Kilkelly Poker League will host a poker event in Eileen's Bar, Aghamore on October 19th. Entry is €60 with limited seats. Chip information - €60 entry, 25k starting stack. €20 unlimited re-buys, 20k chips until end of level seven; €40 Top Up at break (40k chips); 20-minute blinds, 5k early bird chips until the end of level 1.
Cash prizes for the first five places with additional prizes for 6th to 9th places. Prize for the best hand. Raffle on the night, mystery bounties €50 each and late registration until break at 8pm. Proceeds split evenly between prizes to winners and Aghamore GAA Lip Sync Development Fund.
