Category: en2017

CENSORTEC LTD a southern based agricultural company with extensive experience in the Irish Agricultural industry will debut there latest product at the National Ploughing Event 2017. Based in County Kerry, Censortec LTD secured the Irish rights to distribute the world’s leading animal monitoring systems NEDAP LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS. NEDAP have been developing animal monitoring systems for up to 35 years and would be considered the original pioneers of sensor technology in the agricultural industry.

Nedap has recently taken a major step forward in this area with the intelligent Smarttag Neck for Heat Detection with Eating Monitoring & Rumination. The Detection technology not only alerts you to cows in heat in good time, it also draws attention to any animals in your herd with possible health problems. So you can improve your insemination results and check or treat animals with possible health problems in plenty of time and with the greatest of ease. However it’s this development coupled with impressive battery life and a reduced cost of ownership that will make Censortec s introduction to the Irish Market a game changer.

The system is extremely suitable for Irish dairy and beef farms as it is adaptable to any size or shape of farm. “We are extremely excited about bringing this state of the art animal monitoring systems to Irish farmers”, Says Sean Crowley of Censortec. “We are unique to the market with regards cost of ownership, operating costs, accuracy and simplicity. The most significant benefit the Nedap SmartTag brings to the market is its battery life which makes the system very cost effective. We invite you to come and look at the system for yourself at the upcoming national ploughing” Censortec can be contacted at sales@censortec.com and 086-8592968.

In July 1817, two Presentation Sisters travelled on the Grand Canal from Dublin to Killina, near Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Their arrival heralded the beginning of a story of involvement with the community of Rahan and the wider area, which spanned the two centuries to the present day.

It was not by accident that the Presentation Sisters founded their convent in Killina, a rural parish west of Tullamore. Miss Maria O’Brien, daughter of a wealthy merchant family in Dublin, was the owner of Rahan Lodge and its adjoining estate. Recognising the need to improve the plight of the local children, Maria responded with generosity by establishing her own school in 1812. She used her contact with the Archbishop of Dublin to extend an invitation to the Presentation Sisters in George’s Hill, Dublin, to come to Killina to provide for the continuity of education for the children of the parish. (The Presentation Order had been founded by Nano Nagle in 1775, with the aim of looking after the educational needs of the poor). She also provided some funds and land for the convent and gained permission and support from the Bishop of Meath, Bishop Plunkett.

On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16th 1817, Sisters Mary Angela and Sister Mary Teresa Biggar, who were siblings, arrived in Killina. Within weeks, on September 1st, they opened their school to over 100 pupils. The small school house that was already there, thanks to Maria O’Brien, was extended to provide living accommodation for the Sisters. Maria O’Brien, herself, joined the Presentation Order and spent the last five years of her life, until her death in 1827, in the convent she had been so instrumental in founding.

Life cannot have been easy for the first Sisters in Killina Convent. They had to work hard teaching and running the school for the large number of pupils, whilst at the same time balancing their spiritual and household duties. Other Sisters joined, including a mother and daughter –the St. Ledgers- but the numbers remained small. Indeed, when Mother Francis Xavier Curran left Killina in 1841 to found the first Presentation Convent in India, at Madras, (accompanied by Sisters from Maynooth) there were only seven Sisters in Killina.

The Sisters were pioneering women who showed a great generosity of spirit in devoting their lives to improving the circumstances of the parish community. Apart from the three Rs, the Sisters prepared the children for the Sacraments and looked after their spiritual formation through Sunday School and Sodalities. During the Famine, the Sisters taught lace-making to the women of the parish, in an effort to provide them with an extra source of income. Over the years, they carried out other charitable works, quietly extending help to those in need. Their generosity also involved investing their private salary from teaching back into the school.

When a brand new primary school, incorporating a secondary top, was built in the 1960s, it was a joyful time. However, in the following decade, the Sisters, supported by the local community, struggled to retain the senior cycle, in opposition to Government policy of the 1970s.In 1977, their persistence was rewarded and the school was granted full secondary status.
The numbers attending the secondary school have grown steadily and include a Resource Centre for students with a Moderate General Learning Disability.

The Presentation Girls National School and the local Boys National School amalgamated in 2009. This was a poignant event for the Sisters.

The continuing presence of the Sisters in Killina today is a testament to their dedication and commitment to the Presentation ethos and to the people of Rahan. In return, they are much appreciated and valued as friends by the local community.

Sr. Oliver Wrafter is the only current Sister who has spent her entire religious life in Killina since she joined the Presentation Order in February 1941.

Landini and McCormick tractors will be back at The Ploughing this year as new distributor AgriArgo UK underlines its commitment to the Irish market.

A selection of tractors representing the current Landini line-up and the growing McCormick range will be on display, and the event presents the first opportunity for the AgriArgo management team handling sales, distribution and after-sales support to meet farmers, contractors and other end users.

“At our first Irish dealer meeting, we were told that returning to The Ploughing is essential to give the brands and the tractors the profile they deserve,” says Will Doyle, national sales manager for Ireland.

“But, frankly, we knew that already; it’s a hugely important event for the farming community and a great platform for effectively relaunching Landini and McCormick in Ireland.”

AgriArgo has kept a relatively low profile since being appointed by manufacturer Argo Tractors to take over the sales and support role vacated by the previous distributor.

Behind the scenes, explains Ray Spinks, general manager and sales director, the intervening period has been spent negotiating with existing and potentially new dealerships, and getting the required resources in place to serve the Irish market professionally.

“We’ve been focused on getting dealers up to speed on our procedures for ordering tractors and parts, and on putting finance resources in place for dealer stocking plans and retail sales,” he says.

“Our service staff have explained the diagnostics tools available to dealers for trouble-shooting, and the procedures involved in warranty claims and for delivering feed-back to the factory, which we consider very important for the long-term development of the products.”

This all takes time, Mr Spinks points out, but is essential to make the transition go as smoothly as possible so that Landini and McCormick dealers are well-equipped to serve their customers.

One of the first dealerships to fully embrace the changes and sign up to the new distribution arrangements is Maher Tractor Sales at The Bush, Dunslaughlin near Dublin.

“You can go on talking about what you want as a dealer but it’s best to just get on, embrace the changes and different ways of doing things and get selling tractors,” says Derek Maher.

“It’s early days but we’ve been impressed by the team at AgriArgo,” he adds. “You can talk to them on the phone rather than doing everything by email, as some suppliers want you to do, they’ve listened to us and been more than helpful in providing the information we need.”

Maher Tractor Sales supplies mainly McCormick tractors to farming customers, along with some of the smaller Landini models into the fruit sector where they have a strong following.

AgriArgo’s Will Doyle says: “Mahers have been doing well over recent weeks with the 85-113hp McCormick X5 Series and 111-140hp X6 Series tractors, proving that it’s important for dealers to hold tractors in stock to meet demand for customers wanting to make a quick decision on a purchase.”

In that respect, the new stocking finance facility available to dealers is helpful, says Derek Maher, who believes the retail finance packages will be attractive to some customers.

As for the products: “The X5 is a decent tractor, especially as a replacement for the McCormick CX and earlier versions, as well as similar tractors of other makes,” he says. “The X6 appeals to farmers wanting something a bit bigger and more powerful; it’s a fine tractor.”

The X6 Series tractors (and the equivalent 6C Series models in the Landini range), are powered by a fuel-efficient 4.5-litre FPT Industrial engine. They are available with a good choice of build variations in terms of 40kph, Eco 40kph or 50kph transmissions, pto configurations, axle and cab suspension, and so on.

Base specification includes a 66-litre/min gear pump but the ‘LS’ version has a pressure-flow compensated system with 110-litre/min output from the piston pump. In both cases, a 38-litre/min gear pump dedicated to steering and ancillaries like the modulated pto and four-wheel drive clutch ensure that a good supply of oil is available in all situations.

“With the ‘LS’ version especially, the hydraulic response for loader work is really good,” says AgriArgo’s Will Doyle. “And with a 36-speed semi-powershift and adjustable power shuttle, the Argo transmission is well set up for field and road applications.”

Examples of these and other tractors in the Landini and McCormick ranges will be available for inspection at the National Ploughing Championships on September 19-21 at Screggan near Tullamore, Co Offaly.

‘Local Enterprise Village’from the Local Enterprise Offices set to boost profile of small Irish companies.

Plans to boost the profile of Irish small businesses and start-ups at Europe’s largest outdoor event – the National Ploughing Championships – were launched by An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald T.D. and Minister for Business, Pat Breen, T.D.

From the 19^th to 21^st September, the ‘Local Enterprise Village,’ managed and funded by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), will be home to 31 diversestart-ups and small businesses from all over the country. Many of the small businesses will be making their debut at the Championships, using the opportunity to launch new products and services to the 280,000 visitors expected by the National Ploughing Association (NPA).

Announcing the plans for the Local Enterprise Village, the Tánaiste said:

“Through the LEOs, this Government continues to be committed to supporting and sustaining the development of micro and small businesses such as those taking part in the Local Enterprise Village at the National Ploughing Championships. By boosting the profile of indigenous Irish companies at major international events, the focus is on promoting trade and driving innovation and export growth across all business sectors across the country. For the 280,000 people expected at the National Ploughing Championships in September, I would encourage them to pay a visit to the Local Enterprise Village to support Ireland’s start-ups and small businesses.”

Minister Breen said: “The National Ploughing Championships is a wonderful event which continues to grow in scale and importance, especially for small businesses looking to launch new products and services to a mass audience. The Local Enterprise Village will be at the National Ploughing Championships again this year and is another important initiative by the LEOs.It enables small businesses to grow sales and expand, creating more jobs across every county. It is a testament to the fact that the LEOs – working with other agencies and organisations – are central to delivering on the ambition of helping people to help themselves, building a culture of entrepreneurship and enterprise, delivering jobs in every County in Ireland.”

An Tánaiste and Minister Breen were joined at the launch by: Kieran Comerford of the Local Enterprise Offices, Anna May McHugh, Managing Director, The National Ploughing Association; Eoghan Hanrahan, Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland; andAnna-Marie Delaney, Chair of the CCMA Economic, Enterprise, Community and Culture Committee.

Chair of the LEO Exhibition Committee, Kieran Comerford, said: “With over a quarter of a million visitors every year, the Local Enterprise Offices see the National Ploughing Championships as the ideal opportunity to raise the profile of Ireland’s small businesses and start-ups to a mass audience. For visitors looking for products and services for the home, the family or the farm, the Local Enterprise Village is unique because it offers every visitor a chance to meet the person behind the company and to buy directly from them, to help support jobs in small businesses all over the country.”

Anna May McHugh, NPA Managing Director said: “It is wonderful to see that so many diverse and interesting businesses will be represented at this year’s National Ploughing Championships’ ‘Local Enterprise Village’.  This is a unique opportunity for these small businesses who have been supported by their Local Enterprise Office, with 283,000 visitors in attendance last year, to showcase their products to the large number of visitors that Ploughing attracts.”

An Tánaiste and Minister Breenalso met with representatives from several Local Enterprise Village companies, including J&J Services in Carlow (cable manufacturers), VirtualVet in Waterford (digital recordingof animal drug treatments), Irish Artisan Charcoal Company in Limerick (hand-made charcoal for BBQs), Wilde Irish Chocolates in Clare (confectionary, fudge and chocolate spreads) and ROC Protection in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (protective base layers for hurling).

ROC Protection is one of the companies that will be making its debut at the National Ploughing Championships next month.Carl Cullen, Ross Byrne and Cormac Spain from Clonkeen College in Blackrock (all aged 17) invented ahurling base layer which won a national Student Enterprise Award earlier this year, in a LEO-run programme which involves 22,000 secondary school students.

Meanwhile, a third of companies within the Local Enterprise Village are coming from the food and drink sector, offering visitors a ‘taste’ of new ranges such as chilled coffees, smoked fish pates, low-calorie beef, granola, herbal drinks, ready to bake mixes and high protein snacks.

The village will also be the home of small businesses which manufacture locally for the home and farm, such as rainwater gutters, architectural joinery, blasting machines, push-pull cables and sprayer attachments.

In addition to agri-tech products for farmers, visitors will also be able to meet the makers behind furniture, fashion, craft, skincare and sports equipment companies, all based in Ireland.

More details around the Local Enterprise Village and the supports on offer through the Local Enterprise Offices(LEOs) are available atwww.localenterprise.ie.