This week's cover picture: John Byrne making silage bales

John Byrne cutting grass for silage bales on his farm at Cronebeg, Aughrim, Co Wicklow. John, who is a tillage and livestock farmer, was hit with TB in 2007, which resulted in his suckler herd being locked up for a couple of years. The land John doesn’t sow with crops he uses for silage. \ Philip Doyle

Rhododendron growing in The Vee

Cows gather to be let in for evening milking from a field surrounded by the invasive rhododendron on the Waterford-Tipperary border. \ Donal O'Leary

Rhododendron in bloom around The Vee. \ Donal O'Leary

The EU SheepNet project's visit to the Teagasc Mellows Campus

Members of the EU SheepNet project visited Teagasc Mellows Campus in Athenry this week. The delegation included researchers, farmers and industry personnel from France, Ireland, Finland and Italy. The project aims to promote technology transfer and improve efficiency and output at farm level. The Irish committee is led by Tim Keady and Alan Bohan. \ Philip Doyle

Cattle grazing in north Cork

Beef cattle looking to move to fresh grass near Rathcormac, Co Cork. This week’s upturn in weather has led to an increase in grass growth rates and is providing an opportunity for farmers and contractors to start working through a significant backlog in first-cut silage. \ Donal O’Leary

Dairy and beef farmer Maurice Murphy

Dairy and beef farmer Maurice Murphy from Buckstown, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, checking on a few heifers that have just undergone AI and are now running with an Aberdeen Angus stock bull. \ Philip Doyle

Monica and Moss Keane's Charolais pedigree herd

Monica and Moss Keane checking on their herd of pedigree Charolias cows and calves on the home farm in Glenville, Co Cork. The Keanes run 30 cows under the Glenville Charolais herd, with all young stock reared for breeding. Moss also works off-farm for the ESB. \ Donal O’Leary

The Griffin brothers baling sale in Co Tipperary

Brothers Andy, Christy and John Griffin working for contractor Walter Crowley in Ballynoran, Co Tipperary. \ Philip Doyle

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Around the country in pictures

This week in photos: a race to get silage cut before the rain

This week in photos: a tractor run on the most northerly point

This week in photos: transporting peat and shearing sheep