‘It’s hard to plan with the threat of the runway’
THE new runway plan at Dublin airport is casting a shadow over the Scully dairy enterprise in St Margarets, where the family’s eldest, Áine, has taken the plunge and been farming in earnest with her dad Tim and uncle Danny for the two past years.
Farming has always been the plan for the 28-year-old, an equine science graduate from the University of Limerick, but whether it will be in St Margarets — which abuts the new runway — or elsewhere is another question.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen in a year or two with this new runway,” Áine explains.
“The land involved is already acquired by the airport authorities but they say they will have to acquire houses in the vicinity of the runway, and ours is included.
“They are offering to buy the houses at 30pc above their current valuation, but not the land.
“And apart from the farmhouse we have to consider the effect the new runway will have in terms of overhead aircraft fumes descending on the herd and the grassland.”
The threat of the runway is a start to Áine’s farming career she could do without.
“It’s hard to draw up a plan for the farm when these things are going on,” she adds.
The Scullys, who were originally from Sligo, run a herd of Friesian-Holstein crosses on their 80-acre home farm, with an additional 160 acres rented, and supply milk to Glanbia at an average price of 32c/l at the moment.
They are happy with herd numbers and have no immediate expansion plans.
The farm previously supplied Premier dair- ies when agriculture was a viable enterprise in the Finglas area on the north side of Dublin.
Áine began her working career six years ago with the HSE.
“I just went for an interview and then got the job, more or less,” she says.
“I worked there for two years and then got a part-time job with Kilkenny-based Dairy Direct — the dairy hygiene company which advises on and supplies the latest products for keeping dairy enterprises in tip-top condition.”
Áine works in the company’s feeder division, which markets the 3 in 1 Advantage Feeder, and enjoys the banter with farmers, saying: “I enjoy talking to them. They are great craic.”
And she is looking forward to “womaning” the company’s stand at the Ploughing this week.
The next stop on Áine’s farming voyage is getting her Green Cert which is “an automatic” given her degree, and then on to a farm partnership with her dad and uncle.
Her equine degree gives you a good idea about Áine’s off-farm pursuits. Like many farmers in the Fingal area, she enjoys hunting, and her gelding Hippo can be seen traversing the hunting land of the region on a weekly basis with the Ward Union hunt and the Fingal Harriers during the season.
She is also looking forward to the racing careers of home-bred horses Michael James — which is called after her grandfather — and Light Myles Ahead, who are both in the care of local trainer Paul Stafford.
“We have a few mares on the farm to breed racehorses,” says Áine.
“Michael James has been placed and soon will run in England, while Light Myles Ahead will make its maiden debut probably at an Irish course this autumn. It’s easier to win races in England.”
But Áine’s main preoccupations at the moment are the everyday problems which worry every farmer, like fodder shortage. Plus the runway.