‘Angry’ Longford farmers in big tractor protest

Farmers from around the county converged on the N4 bypass on the edge of Longford town last Thursday [February 1] in a show of solidarity for farmers across Europe.
Ostensibly the gathering was to voice outrage at a process many farmers believe is regulating them out of business by “Brussels bureaucrats and Department of Agriculture officials” who they say are “far removed from the reality of day-to-day farming”.

The turnout in Longford was mirrored across Ireland: “We had over 50 tractors taking part,” chairman of Longford IFA John Sheridan told the Leader, “The general mood is that farmers are very angry. They are very down. They have been inundated with environmental schemes not worth the paper they are written on.”

The protestors assembled at the Padraic Colum roundabout on the edge of the town in tractors just before 6.30pm. The vehicles joined in convoy before travelling along the bypass then parading through the town centre.
The Longford IFA chair hopes the action will precipitate communication from the government: “Farmers are annoyed with a government that won't sit down and talk to us. We as farmers have the solution, but they don't seem to want that solution. Farmers are angry.”

Mr Sheridan says the public response was positive: “Nobody was annoyed with us. There were a lot of people blowing horns and waving.
“We did it outside of business hours so the public would not be inconvenienced. It's about letting people know what could happen. If things don't change it will probably happen. There were a lot of people who took part in the protest who suggested more action,” he warned.

Mr Sheridan says any further protests will be planned: “We have to give Francie Gorman the chance to talk to Minister McConalogu and the Taoiseach before we decide on the next step.”
IFA President, Francie Gorman said farmers are “frustrated” by what's happening: “Irish farmers are pro-EU, but there is mounting frustration about the impact of EU policy on European farmers, and its implementation here in Ireland. The general feeling amongst farmers across the EU is that ‘enough is enough’,” he said.
Mr Sheridan said many members of the local organisation were compelled to take the action: “We are going into a very busy time of the year with lambing and cows calving, but we don't have any choice, we have to make our voice heard.”