EDITORIAL COMMENT: Cork beat and the hay saved

That used to be the old saying in and around the Premier County in the days of Munster championship played in hot sweltering sunshine with the tar lifting off the road.

Sadly, those days are long gone in the sense that very few actually make hay anymore and beating Cork, well....... that’s a far more fluid scenario right now.

But, while hay is no longer the order of the day for many farmers, silage most certainly is and right now we are at the beginning of the season which will continue during the summer. So, that means that every boithrín, lane and roadway will be well occupied with huge machinery making their way to and from the silage pits of Tipperary.

Time is money in the farming sector and the rush will be on to get the silage in before the weather breaks; the pit sealed; or get the bales into the yard. There will be rigs operating almost 24/7 and that leaves many open to error. With the size of machinery involved and the speed at which they travel nowadays, that can spell disaster.

So, for road users in our county, please be warned. There will be increased volumes of machinery on the roads; they will be travelling at speed; and the operators may well be after enduring a long shift in the driving seat. There is not a lot they can do about that, except to exercise as much caution as possible.

Caution works both ways though and motorists and road users should also take care, especially when it comes to over-taking large machinery - you could be very surprised at the width of the rigs and more than surprised at the speed at which they can move on the roads.

Don’t take chances. Be patient. Be mindful of the danger; And be safe.

The number of farm accidents in Ireland are on the rise all the time and considering the power of the machinery involved, the injuries sustained can be catastrophic. So, let’s try and help out the argricutural sector over these very busy weeks by being mindful of the demands on their time and investment. Stay safe.