Looking at the Christmas edition of the Irish Farmers Journal every five years since 1985, we have spotted a little bit of a pattern. The years 1985 and 1990 displayed full pictures on the front cover, with no news distracting the reader from the attractive Christmas image.

The 1985 edition, below, boasted the festive sight of a sheep farmer, unidentified, feeding his flock in the snow, with the beautiful light of the dying sun behind him. Inside the front page, however, it was business as usual, with stories ranging from low beef prices to the considerable income difference between dairy and beef farmers. Sheep prices were noted to have ended the year on a good note, while farm incomes had dropped by 17% across all the sectors, the lowest drop since 1973.

In 1990, below, a snow-covered mountain in St Remigius, Switzerland was chosen as the image for the front cover, and again no news takes away from the brilliant scene of blue and white. Inside the front page, the editorial speaks passionately about the "core of farming's problems - the dramatic decline in the purchasing power of our output". I

n the news, beef is again noted to have had a difficult year, with the "vagaries of the market" being compounded by "inflated scares rebounding from disease developments and suggested drug misuse". Meanwhile, Bord Glas, the horticultural promotion agency, was berated for having its headquarters in Baggot Street in Dublin.

In 1995 we see a change in the pattern, with headline news accompanying the picture on the front page. As seen below, the headline shouts, "Sheep deal agreed", while the picture of sheep in a snow-covered field in Co Wicklow reflects the main news story of the day. Looking closer at the main story, it reveals that the Minister for Agriculture at the time, Ivan Yates, succeeded in getting the rural world premium, worth £5.48 per ewe, extended to sheep farmers in non-Disadvantaged Areas. Although the deal was welcomed by sheep farmers in the lowlands, it was criticised in the Disdavantaged Areas.

Also on the front page on 23 December 1995 was the story that 7,000 farmers could lose their ewe or suckler premium quota to the national reserve if they have not used or leased the quota over the last two years.

The millenium year, 2000, below, saw a continuation of the pattern of a picture accompanied by a main news story. The picture was not as festive as previous years and highlighted the seriousness of the news story it captured. Up to 2,500 farmers attended an IFA beef crisis meeting at Goff's, Kill, Co Kildare in the Christmas week that year. Its purpose was to increase the pressure on the Irish government and that same week's EU Farm Council meeting to deliver a price of 90p per lb for O grade cattle from 1 January 2001.

Due to new BSE scares in France and Germany in the run up to Christmas, most third country markets had closed for Irish beef and live cattle imports. IFA president at the time, Tom Parlon, told the meeting that farmers "cannot survive another BSE-inflicted market collapse."

By 2005, it is clear we have moved away from the pattern of having just a picture on the front cover. A picture of newly elected IFA president Padraig Walshe graces the front cover of the Christmas edition. The news story below from then livestock editor Justin McCarthy talks about a row brewing between farmers, meat factories and the Department of Agriculture over new EU legislation which could see "perfectly healthy animals slaughtered and dumped at factories throughout the country from 1 January 2006". The new legislation stated that animals unloaded at a plant must be slaughtered at the plant, and, in the event of problems, the animals could not be returned to their farm of origin or any other premises.

Also in this Christmas edition was the news that farmers selling entitlements without land would be forced to give up 30% to the National Reserve.

Five years later, in 2010, we see an example of a headline that certainly suits the festive mood. Although the word "Turkey" in the headline refers to the country and not the bird served up on Christmas tables, it still ties in appropriately with the season. The story, again written by then livestock editor Justin McCarthy, reveals that Ireland will almost certainly have access to the high-priced Turkish beef market in 2011.

And again, most likely due to their snowy fleeces, sheep steal the show in the main picture, with Kenneth Kelly leading sheep to feed in the snow on the farm of James Gleeson, Boher, Co Roscommon.

Finally, we are up to date with 2015, which also leads with a picture of sheep. This year's Christmas edition shows Kate Devane, Garrynadur, Lispole, Co Kerry, helping her father Owen, whose three-year old Charollais ewe gave birth to two male and three ewe lambs this week. The main news story, from news correspondent Paul Mooney, brings the good news that periods for hedge-cutting and burning of hill vegetation are to be extended by one month on a trial basis to make land management more practical.

So there you have it, a review of Irish Farmers Journal Christmas editions every five years from 1985. We look forward to seeing our Christmas editions over the next thirty years and we hope you do too.