Farmers are being urged to stay inside during storm Éowyn and be “absolutely focused on safety over the next few days” by Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) president Denis Drennan.

“[The] ICMSA thinks it’s important and prudent to just hunker down and wait this one out, do the necessary jobs only before we go out on to our farms and start inspecting or repairing damage to sheds or roofs.

“Let’s just be extra cautious for this and give the extra few hours till the worst of the winds have died down, keep in contact with family and neighbours and make sure everyone is ok and safe as possible,” said Drennan.

Statistically, farming is already a higher risk than most other occupations, Drennan said as he appealed for everyone to look after themselves, their families and stock and to wait until the storm is over before turning their attention to property or buildings.

‘Community minded’

Drennan added that the last extreme weather event (snow in the south of the country) showed how “community minded” farmers are. However, he cautioned that farmers also need to ensure their own safety at these times.

“The forecasters are giving the storm about 16 to 18 hours of intense activity and we’d just like farmers to be very conscious of downed trees and particularly downed electricity lines, where farmers might go trying to unblock roads unaware of the status of the power lines.

“We’ve seen just recently where community-minded farmers are usually the first people to respond to extreme weather events in their localities and while we are proud of that community spirit and commitment, we have to be mindful of our safety and not feel pressurised to get out and start clearing away damage or fallen trees before it’s safe to do so,” he said.