World record smashed, cows milked, lambs born - all on Fagan's farm
It’s been an exciting week so far on John Fagan’s farm: we’ve seen lambs delivered, a world record broken, and a Liverpudlian country star and a squeamish tv presenter turn their hand to milking.
And it’s all been happening under the gaze of a tv crew and a live audience, as, nightly, RTE broadcasts its “Big Week on the Farm” project.
On Monday night, Donegal sheep shearer Ivan Scott set a new world record when he sheared a sheep in 37.9 seconds, yielding 3.92 kilos, and satisfying the exacting standards of Guinness World Records invigilator, Glen Pollard.
Ivan became the first Irishman to hold the speed record for shearing, which previously stood at 39.31 seconds.
Filmed at John Fagan’s farm at Gartlandstown, audiences got their first taste of what was to come during Friday night’s Late Late Show, when comedian Bernard O’Shea was clearly thrilled when he got to help deliver a lamb in the lambing shed with John Fagan, who revealed his family have been farming their 400 acres at Gartlandstown for around 150 years.
On Monday, weather presenter Evelyn Cusack was present – and she revealed not just that her parents are farmers in Clonaslee in Laois, but that she’s a half-Westmeath woman, with one of her parents having grown up in Rahugh.
Mairead Ronan turned her hand to milking – but she made it clear she’s not going to take it up full-time.
Country singer, Nathan Carter also milked successfully on Tuesday evening.
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