There are certain things that only Irish farmers would understand and we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourites!
1. Farmers love a good dinner in the middle of the day and have tea in the evening!
City folk always find this hilarious – not just the afternoon slump at the desk they hit if they try to join in, but the use of the word ‘tea’ to mean dinner, as opposed to tea (the drink) never ceases to confuse them!
Eitherway, having the dinner around 12.30 gives you a clear run at the day!
2. ‘Will ya harden up’
Farmers can often be an unsympathetic group particularly when it come to any minor injuries or ailments.
“Don’t be soft you’ll be grand.”
“Back in my day no one would pass a bit a heed on that.”
3. 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days of the year
What is this word ‘holiday’ you speak of? And the number crunchers in the CSO confirmed it recently – farmers work longer hours than anyone else in this country. Fact.
4. Auld fellas are never happy with the weather
It’s always too wet, too dry, too cold or too hot. After a couple of dry, warm days it’s back to ‘god we could do with a sup of rain’ talk. And then when that arrives, it’s back to ‘we could do with a few fine days now’.
5. Farming people are handy!
Every farmer has his own way of doing jobs and repairs around the farm. They may not be the ‘best’ way, but the levels of ingenuity among Irish farmers would put McGyver to shame!
6. “I have a cow calving” is an acceptable excuse in any situation.
Really, every Sunday when it comes to visiting the relations, not going to training or any actual social event!
7. Don’t organise anything during silage season
8. Ridiculous field names
Naming fields that only people in the family would understand/know how to find: The big meadow; the far field; Gort na hAbhainn (field with the river for those struggling with Irish); the fort field; the long field; and the well field. Self explanatory really!
9. Vague instructions that will, invariably, end in a row.
‘You never told me what to do’ – ‘You should have known enough’.
10. EU grants
From Young Farmer Installation Aid to the Early Retirement Scheme and pretty much everything else in between – we’ve been there, done that, got the grant!
