It doesn’t take a lot to make me feel really proud of being Irish. For me, it comes with a feeling of true entitlement.

But my senses, in this regard, were heightened when I sat down and listened to the interview given by Kildare man, Jim McCarthy to Michael Hennessy on the recent Tillage Edge podcast.

Jim is currently farming 20,000ha in Romania, just 60km away from where bombs and rockets are dropping on towns and villages in Ukraine.

As one might expect, his farm has been a passing-through point for refugees heading out of the war zone. And anyone seeking refuge and shelter has not been refused. But more than that, Jim is also providing assistance for a group of Ukrainian nationals with special needs.

More to the point, he confirmed that this very ‘at risk’ grouping of people will be staying with him for the entire duration of the war.

Kindness of an Irish farmer in eastern Europe

I was immediately struck by both the scale of the commitment that Jim has made and the very humble way in which he communicated this more than charitable gesture.

Jim may not like me using the word charitable. So let me refer to his actions as being ‘a total commitment to the cause’.

The scale of this dedication becomes even more significant when one takes account of the fact that Jim also has a very large farming business to manage at the same time.

Irish people are renowned throughout the world for their generosity of spirit. And Jim McCarthy is a perfect example of this principle being exemplified in a more than practical way.

Although, in his case, I think he deserves full recognition and credit  – both here and abroad – for the decision he has made to truly help others a time of genuine need.   

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day gives people the world over an opportunity to highlight their love for all things Irish.

But sometimes it’s appropriate to step back a little from the parades and other celebrations that mark our national day.

Our patron saint left us a legacy centred on giving and the need to always go that extra mile for a person or people not as fortunate as ourselves.

In many ways, Ireland’s rural way of life has always been based on these very values.

And it is nice to see that the embodiment of these principles is being fully realised by people like Jim McCarthy.

And, no doubt, there are many other Irish people buoyed with the same commitment in countries around the world right now.