At the Tullamore Show last Sunday, Macra na Feirme, the young farmers and rural youth organisation, was there to highlight changes to driving licence requirements concerning the pulling of trailers.
Offaly Macra and the reigning Queen of the Land, Teresa Brennan, from Laois, invited everyone to give their best chat up lines to see if they were licensed to pull!
The funniest chat line was: “If you were one of my cows, I’d give you a quare milking” given by Mamie O’Reilly from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath. Mamie won a branded Macra jacket.
Changes to driving licence categories have meant many drivers, who are not licensed to pull a trailer behind their vehicle, are not aware they are breaking the law.
Macra na Feirme is calling on everyone that owns a trailer to have a look at the category of their licence and if they do not have category ‘EB’, they should apply for a provisional licence immediately and apply to do a test.
The main attraction at the Macra stand was the All-Ireland final of Macra’s FBD Farmskills competition. The tractor and fencing tasks pulled in large crowds who came to see the skill required in modern farming. The overall winners of the competition were Midleton Macra, Imokilly, Cork. Awbeg Macra, Avondhu, Cork came second and also won the safety award. In third place was Cushinstown Macra, Wexford.
The other teams that took part were East Laois Macra; Moynalty Macra, Meath and Castlerea Macra, Roscommon.
The farmskills competition tests proficiency in several aspects of farm skills, from tractor skills to fencing. The aim of the competition is to help young farmers develop various farm skills and techniques and to create greater awareness of farm safety.
Pictured: FBD Farm Skills Final 2013, Tullamore Show. 1st place – Midleton Macra, Imokilly, Co. Cork. L-R James O’Callaghan; John Casey; Kathleen Leonard, FBD Tullamore; Paul Savage; Kieran O’Dowd, Macra National President.
Full coverage of the Tullamore Show, including all the results in all categories, is available here.