His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales visited Shane Fitzgerald’s dairy farm in Portlaw, Co. Waterford today (March 24), for a tour of the sustainability-focused enterprise.
Fitzgerald said it was a privilege to show the Prince around his 92ha farm alongside his father John and partner Kate.
The Fitzgeralds welcomed the Prince to the 200-cow farm and demonstrated to him a number of measures they have taken to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote sustainability.
The Prince, who arrived alongside Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, was given a number of demonstrations on the use of protected urea, multi-species swards, soil sampling and the use of drones in farm mapping.
Charles, who said he was impressed with the use of the farm’s low emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment, commented that he would like to see the use of these methods become more widespread.
The Prince also met a number of young farmers from Macra Na Feirme, to discuss the future of farming in Ireland.
Macra member Nicole Keohan, a PhD student in University College Dublin (UCD) spoke to the Prince about her research in reducing antibiotic use on dairy farms. Speaking to Agriland, she said:
“It’s a great event to be involved in, I think it’s really nice that he came over and is taking such an interest and it also shows that those channels between ourselves and the UK remain open.
“It was amazing to chat to him, I was nervous but I just tried to think of him as a normal person,” she added.
After a quick visit to Shane’s newborn calves, the Prince also got to witness a number of other technologies farmers are using, including the planting of multi-species swards and extra hedgerows.
Speaking after the visit, Shane said it was a privilege to host the visit:
“He was very down to earth and very at ease with himself here and we were delighted to have him. This really was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m very proud for the farm, the family and the community.”
Charles encouraged him to keep up the hard work and continue to promote sustainability in the agricultural industry.
“The big message he had for me was to ‘keep reducing your carbon’, that’s what he said to me just before he left.”
Shane and his family also presented the Prince with a gift of honey which was produced locally before his departure.
“Only for he ran out of time he was going to come in for a cup of tea.”
The Prince toured the farm as part of a wider visit to the southeast of Ireland with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
As part of their tour they visited Waterford’s historic city centre; the social enterprise GROW HQ; as well as horse trainer Henry De Bromhead’s stables where they met Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Rachael Blackmore.
At the visit, the Duchess asked what the plans are now for the two-time winner Honeysuckle and De Bromhead revealed that she would be “taking a break” before aiming to return to Cheltenham again in 2023.
The royal party went on to see some horses in the stables; the schooling barn; and the yard’s horse spa.
The Duchess also spent time meeting and talking to the stable hands and stable staff.
Their Royal Highnesses will continue their tour of the southeast in Tipperary tomorrow (March 25).