Additional nursing resources had to be drafted in to Ennis Mart on Thursday night last week as more than 80 farmers queued for over an hour to have their blood pressure checked before the Irish Farmers Journal mart demo.

While the news was good for many, others had blood pressure readings well above European Society of Cardiology (ESC) targets (140/90mmHg) and were advised to seek immediate medical attention.

“When blood pressure levels are above target, we have a duty of care to ensure the patient seeks medical advice,” says Annie Costelloe of Croí - the Heart and Stroke charity based out of Galway.

One case on the night required a review with the on-call doctor.

Another case meant the farmer had to attend Shannon Doc immediately. Both were recommended not to drive home.