Farmers are the Guardians of the Land

Tomás O’Nidh is a dry stock farmer based in the Connemara Gaeltacht. He manages his marginal farm with an extensive grazing system using a small herd of Dexter cattle for the betterment of local flora and fauna. He also supplements his income with tourism accommodation on the farm. Tomás is currently participating in ACRES CP under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

Tomás is not just a farmer, he is also a retired teacher, a fluent Irish speaker, and is deeply connected to family, community and the land. “We’ve had this farm since 1889. I’m Tommy Mhairtín Teamaín Mhicil Phadda. That’s five generations,” he says proudly. Despite being retired, Tomás’s enthusiasm for the land and farming is as strong as ever. “My uncle died in 1971 and the land became neglected,” he explains, “It was overgrown with weeds, briars, and all sorts of plants and trees. At some point I said that in honour of the generations who came before me it would be a nice thing to bring these fields back to how they were when I was a boy.”

Tomás has used an extensive grazing regime with Dexter cattle ever since. “I was looking for small cattle that did not do too much damage to the ground.” Over the years, Tomás and his cattle have grown to understand each other. “They’re very independent cows. They will follow you, but you won’t steer them. They’re a little wild sometimes, but when all is said and done, we’re very happy together.”

Tomás is participating in ACRES CP under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and is a strong believer in the effectiveness of agri-environment initiatives. “I’m really happy with the scheme. It gives me the support I need to do the things that help nature. There are lots of plants, animals and birds, and if we don’t look after them, they will disappear. They need spaces like they did in the old times.”

As part of the agreement that Tomás made with Field Officers from ACRES West Connacht, he has put his woodwork teaching skills to good use by building and erecting kestrel and bat boxes. Kestrels do not make their own nests but seek out abandoned nests or suitable holes in trees. Tomás is paid under ACRES to provide suitable nesting boxes for these birds.  “I don’t know if any kestrels have made their nest there yet, but I’ll keep an eye out for them. I hope that they do come. Bats also need places to make their nests and raise their young.”

The farm next door belonged to his late cousin, and it is a daily reminder to Tomás of the importance of his work on his own farm. With no successor to follow his cousin, the land is now unmanaged and covered in dense scrub and not hospitable to the native grassland species that are adapted to live in a traditionally farmed landscape.

Tomás sees a vital role for marginal farmland like his farm in the future. “This place is thriving with biodiversity. The moss is a sign that the air is clean and the herbs on the ground show that there is no weedkiller being sprayed. That helps the small animals and the insects. Perhaps, for land that is not suited to intensive farming, that is the role it can play. We can nurture nature here.”

Tomás may be retired but he is still very active. “It’s continuous work,” he says, “I have to maintain all the walls. Any stone that falls must be put back. If you neglect it, they can fall down completely in a few years.” To supplement his income, Tomás runs an Air BnB business in a cottage that he built on the site of the original cottage where his father was born. “I’m not saying that I make my living off of it all, but it brings in a few quid. If people get recognition for doing a good deed, they stick at it, and it encourages them to do more,” he says. “They see that they are doing things that benefit nature, the country and the people.”