Beara Tractor goes all the way to Dublin in recent Tractorcade Protest

Denis Regan, a dairy farmer from Castletownere and Chairman or West Cork I.F.A. Dairy Committee and Committe member of both Beara and Castletownbere Branches of the I.F.A., drove his tractor all the way to Merrion Square in Dublin as part of the national protest by farmers over the falling farm incomes.  Denis began his journey on Sunday afternoon, 5th Jan. leading a convoy of 60+ tractors from Beara (7 coming over on the Ferry from Bere Island) to Bantry where the official start was scheduled to take place the following day.  Tractors from Tralee in Co. Kerry, Mayo, Donegal were also due to start out on Day 1 of the nationwide protest.
On Monday, the convoy was led by the I.F.A. leader John Dillon - driving the West Cork I.F.A.'s Chairman's Bernard O'Donovan's tractor - followed close behind by Denis Regan with his tractor - prominently displaying the Beara I.F.A. banner.  A convoy of some 200+ tractors left Bantry on that day to drive through Dunmanway and on to Clonakilty (home of Minister Joe Walsh) where the amount to 350 before stopping for the night at Bandon.

(Picture on right below shows Denis's tractor leading the tractors off the Ferry at CTBere)
Day 3 for Denis was from Bandon to Fermoy, via Cork City, where there was little or no traffic disturbance and lots of support for them from urban and rural folk alike. 

Day 4, the longest day, was from Fermoy to Durrow and here the support was equally enthusiastic with more and more tractors joining in along the way - some estimate it to be around 600 tractors on that day.  Denis was now begining to attract attention in that he was the farmer who was travelling the longest distance from home - 250 miles in all - as tractors were joining in and leaving every day along the way.  Reporters from local radio as well as journalists from all the national and farming newspapers were queuing up to interview Denis along the route.  He was certainly putting Beara on the map.

Day 5, the route was from Durrow to Geoff's in Co. Kildare, and here tractors from the Kerry and Waterford routes had amalgamated with those from West Cork.  During this route, the T.V. personnel started to gain interest and Denis was interviewed by the BBC.  The newspapers were still hot on his trail and photos were being snapped.   Along the way, support vehicles were on hand to give sandwiches and soup to the drivers of the tractors - as once they started out - they did not stop until they reached their destination.  This was in order to create the least amount of traffic congestion as the start each day was not until 10-10.30 am and finishing by 4.00 pm - to avoid the rush-hour traffic. 

Day 6, the final leg of the protest - from Geoff's to Merrion Square.  This morning, Denis was interviewed by TV3 before he set off on his route.  The no. of tractors allowed to enter the city was curtailed to 300 so many tractors had to leave and return home and the Gardai did not want the farmers to march there either.  Along the way, building sites and various people had banners supporting their cause - banners stating that "Minister Joe Walsh was the Weakest Link and it was time for him to go" Others praising them for taking on the government - who have since their election railroaded in cuts in all aspects of the Budget - but pushing through a pay-rise for themselves - backdated to January of last year.  How do you have confidence in such a government.  While the no. of tractors was adhered and many farmers did not march into the city because of the restriction, the 2,000 + crowd that awaited them in Merrion Square was indeed heartening to see.  Denis spoke to a few a them who indicated that they lived in Dublin or in the outer regions of the city, but felt that they had to come in to support their protest and make sure that the Government sits up and take note of what they are doing to Rural Ireland.  These comments made the journey worthwhile - for Denis at least - in that the message they wished to protray - got delivered to the people in the urban communities.  The next stage is to make sure that the Minister for Agriculture and the Government now take notice and halt the decline in farm income.  The inaccurate quotes by the Minister at the begining of the week about the average income - were now known to be all that - false and inaccurate.  He was not there to meet the farmers either, as he indicated in his interview with Pat Kenny on Monday. 

Since the protest took place, the Minister and the Taoiseach have agreed to meet with the farming bodies to discuss at length the issues raised by them during their protest.  Lets hope they will have a successful outcome.

Picture on right shows Denis's tractor leaving Bantry on Day 2 of his protest - followed by numerous others.