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 The Blue Jean Country Queen Festival Committee have announced this week that this year's festival will not go ahead due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. This will be the second consecutive year that the festival has been cancelled. The Macra na Feirme personality contest, which sees women from all over the country and abroad descend on Athboy, Co. Meath each June Bank Holiday Weekend took a significant blow last year with the Covid-19 pandemic reaching our shores just as the Committee announced that both The Blizzards and Jake Carter would be headlining over the Festival weekend. In a statement issued...

The results of the Macra na Feirme Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections were announced in the Irish Farm Centre, Dublin and live on Facebook today (Wednesday 7th April). ­­­John Keane becomes the 38th president of Macra na Feirme and the fourth Tipperary Macra member to serve in the role, following in the footsteps of T.J. Maher, Seamus Hayes and P.J Meagher. Of a total poll of 117 John Keane surpassed the quota with 105 votes, a surplus of 45 over the quota. “Thanks to all the clubs and members who voted for me, it is a huge honour to represent the...

Macra na Feirme today announced a new plan to diversify by offering the sale of new Cola Milk™. “It’s great to announce something that will provide us with so much profit while none of it will go to farmers or producers,” said the new head of the newly established Macra - Foundation for Agricultural Kreative Environment - Milk division, Bill McWonka. This new milk is sourced from the freshest cola cubes harvested from the sweet cola orchards of County Carlow before being finely ground down using traditional Irish millstones and combined with the crispest natural sparkling water sourced only from...

Macra na Feirme today welcomed the focus on remote working as the future of employment in rural Ireland published in the Government’s blueprint to transform rural Ireland ‘Our Rural Future’. Young people living in Rural Ireland had to abruptly adjust to the ‘new normal’ of working from home without the essential amenities that are often taken for granted.   “As plans are put in place to return to offices, the excuse of poor broadband speed and other distractions is less likely to be tolerated and so the acceleration of the National Broadband Plan is a must,” said Macra na Feirme National President Thomas Duffy.  Covid-19 has brought to light both the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in rural Ireland and this new blueprint has set out...

Macra na Feirme today has supported calls for a ban on gambling advertising online. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in a notable increase in both online gambling and online advertisements for these services. The extension of the government lockdown has meant that temptation to gamble is greater now than ever as people are restricted to their homes. Those who would have traditionally placed bets in the bookies, may now be turning to online which is open 24/7.   “These ads can take advantage of those that are vulnerable, and this is compounded by the lack of the normal social networks which have been removed during Covid lockdowns. The Government must legislate to ban online gambling ads to protect those being targeted,” said Macra na Feirme National President Thomas Duffy.  Gambling addiction is something that affects over 30,000 people in Ireland and problem gambling...