Éowyn knocked grass growth along with trees

Grass covers in parts of the west were severely affected by storm Éowyn in January, farmers have confirmed.

Sea spray from the storm was carried over 3km inland in some areas, resulting in significant salt burn of grass covers.

Well-known Galway dairy farmer Henry Walsh, who farms with his wife Patricia and son Enda near Oranmore, said grass covers were devastated on their farm by the storm.

“We had a very mild winter and the place was looking really well prior to the storm,” said Walsh.

“We had a lot of growth through the winter and covers were at around 1,100[kgs/ha],” he explained.

Walsh estimated that covers dropped by around 200kg as a direct consequence of the storm.

Quality affected

However, he said the quality of the grass was also affected by the storm, as covers were left “battered into the ground” and “shrivelled up” due to a combination of the ferocious swirling winds and the salt in the sea spray.

Although Walsh’s farm is almost 3km from the Atlantic as the crow flies, the 150km/h winds generated by storm Éowyn carried the sea spray well inland.

“The windows in the house and cars were completely covered in salt after the storm,” he explained.

Similar experiences have been reported by farmers in south Clare, who are 4km inland from the Shannon Estuary.

Salt in sea spray is believed to have contributed to significant losses in winter grass covers among farmers in this area.

Loss of covers due to the storms and hard weather in January has left a lot of dairy farmers struggling to keep grass in front of cows this spring.

Teagasc has advised farmers to delay the start of the second rotation and to supplement grass with a combination of silage and increased concentrates in the parlour until growth takes off during April.

Grass growth is currently well behind normal levels, according to PastureBase Ireland.

Average growth rate this week in Munster was 17kg/ha/day, 16kg/ha/day in Connacht, 18kg/ha/day in Leinster and 13kg/ha/day in Ulster.

These levels are 6kg to 10kg/ha/day back on normal growth rates for this time of the year.