Silage-making has been hitting the headlines in recent weeks, but what about the tradition of square baling?
Paul Brennan of Skyfly Photography has filmed drone footage of Ned Broderick making square bales on his farm in Woodland, Ballickmoyler, Co. Laois.
For the past 43 years Ned Broderick has supplied hay to HRH the Aga Khan, one of the Middle East’s richest people and well-know horse breeder, with all his square bale needs in Ireland.
The hay will be fed to HRH the Aga Khan’s horses over the winter.
Ned Broderick himself is working the baler in the video with Paddy Knowles rowing and drawing in the straw.
He is also shown safely clearing a blockage from the auger of the John Deere baler.
Once the bales are made, the arm workout begins with the stacking of the bales for collection with the tractor and bale loader.
Tony Butler, John Langton, Pat Lawlor and with Ned’s two grand-daughters Molly Byrne and Georgina Welsh got the job of stacking the bales.
Once enough of the bales are stacked they are brought to a nearby shed where they are packed together by the tractor.
Weather outlook
Much of Friday will be dry, with periods of bright or hazy sunshine however, rain will become widespread on Friday night, Met Eireann says.
Rain will clear Saturday morning with sunny spells and isolated showers, most of which will occur in the south and west of the country promised for the day.
Looking to Sunday, it says it showers will become widespread on Sunday morning and it will be heavy in places.
Met Eireann says that mainly dry for a time early on Sunday night but rain soon reaching southern counties will spread north to affect most places overnight.