Farmers urged to donate calf for charity sale at Nenagh Mart

Nenagh Macra na Feirme has put a call out to farmers to consider donating a calf for a forthcoming local auction aimed at raising funds for a charity that supports farm families in times of loss and grief.

The Calf Fundraiser, to be held in Nenagh Mart, on March 18, is mainly in aid of Embrace Farm, the national network for farm families who have lost a loved one or suffered serious injury in a farming accident.

Some 90pc of the funds raised by the staging of next month’s sale of calves at the local mart will go to the charity.

The remaining 10pc will be used by the Nenagh Macra branch to fund its activities.

Farmers interested in donating a calf for the sale can contact any of the following for more details: Charlene Powell (Templederry), 083 0545575; Bill Gleeson (Burgess/Portroe), 087 1170399 or Sean Kelly (Kilruane), 087 619 9353.

Embrace Farm is a farming organisation which was founded by Brian and Norma Rohan, a farming family from Shanahoe, County Laois, in 2014.

Brian and his wife Norma with extended family lost Brian’s father Liam Rohan to a sudden farm accident in 2013.

Like most farming families, the Rohan’s experienced great and invaluable support from neighbours and friends but were surprised to find that there was little or no emotional or practical support networks available to farm families suffering such loss.

After doing some research they hatched the idea to set up a support network for farm families who, like them, have lost a loved one or suffered serious injury in a farming accident.

Embrace FARM obtained its fully charitable status in 2017 and is now fully operational as a not-for-profit organisation, the first of its kind for the farming community in Ireland.

Following the calf sale, a  presentation night with live music will take place in Buddy's Cappparoe on  April 11. Nenagh Macra has also set up an I-Donate link, which can be found on its Facebook page.