Fielding questions on farm safety

Animal safety was the focus of the second Farm Safety Day at St Daigh’s National School in Inniskeen.

The initiative was the brainchild of teacher Niamh Monahan, whose pedigree Texel flock endured a sheep attack in January 2025.

Niamh, who shepherds the flock with her father Eamonn, found a way of combining her passion for teaching and her love of farming. Her idea was a big hit with the entire school community.

Farmer PJ Fitzsimons returned to the school to talk about being safe around machinery. Having enlisted the help of students to stuff a suit with straw, PJ then showed how easily accidents can happen.

“You have to teach them when they’re young,”PJ told The Anglo-Celt. “I have two young children and I try to take them with me as often as I can, whenever it’s safe. I was here last year; I always make a good effort around younger people and different aspects of farm safety.

“I went to primary school here myself, so I have a soft spot for it.”

One pupil who was already savvy around machinery and farms was Conor from Second Class, whose grandfather owns a farm.

“I wrote a story about the John Deere tractor. It broke down, so I called my brother who came to help. He found out the problem so he got to work. Then we were at a hardware shop and it broke down again! So, he asked the person in the shop to help us. We got the parts to fix it.”

Lizzy, Conor’s classmate explained what she had learned about farm safety: “I know that it’s really important. We help the animals and make sure people are safe around tractors, slurry pits and all of the dangerous stuff around the farm.”

Principal Sandra Cumiskey brought in her horse Maggie to school for Farm Safety Day. Lizzy loved hearing about the horse: “We learned about horse’s ears. There are different movements on their ears telling us how they’re feeling.”

Her friend Kate felt the farm safety days were a fun way to learn.

“If you’re going on a farm, you have to be near an adult that works on the farm,” explained Kate. “You should be seven to ride on a tractor and if you want to drive the tractor, you have to be 16.”

AgriKids’ founder Alma Jordan was amongst the guests. Alma started writing children’s storybooks in 2015 after a particularly bad year for farm fatalities. It has since become a nationwide programme that has reached over 80,000 kids. Her approach focuses on teaching safety early so children naturally influence behaviour at home and help shift attitudes to risk: “The important ingredient here is the fact that they bring that message home… and that’s why it’s AgriKids, not AgriAdults.”

A vet based in Dundalk, Jackie McCann told the children that a career in veterinary medicine is within reach for anyone. Her talk was interactive, building confidence around animals and sparking their curiosity about her work:

“I’m talking to the children about being a vet… It’s easier to ask them questions, so that you get something that they’re interested in, rather than just droning on to them.”

Eamonn Monahan, who brought sheep along in a trailer, relayed the family’s gradual recovery after a devastating dog attack on their flock. Bringing the sheep out again marked an important step forward, while also giving them an opportunity to educate children about the importance of responsible dog ownership:

“Recovery is a very slow process… but it’s great to see the young kids here today showing an enthusiasm for animal welfare and how responsible they are for their dogs.”

The children also got to feed and name the sheep. Eamonn introduced lambs Jumpy and Jill and their mothers Netherland and Rotterdam, where the ewes originated.

Niamh Monahan, who teaches Second Class, and is also a Community Farm Safety Champion with Irish Rural Link, thanked all the participants, including the emergency services, who did lifesaving and water safety workshops in the community centre next door: “The kids gain so much more from hands-on learning. You can hear the squeals in the background! They’re so excited to see animals in their schoolyard, to talk to a real vet, real farmers and just experience how wonderful farming is. We really wanted to make it as enjoyable and as fun as possible.”

It’s all systems go for the fun learning event in 2027. Niamh said that as soon as the children came back in September, they were asking when Farm Safety Day was.