Farmers are the most charitable grouping of people on this island. Never mind Christmas - they are always giving of their time and resources the whole year round.

So when the snow falls, who is always the first person up the lane to check on neighbours, who are either elderly or living on their own?

It’s the always dependable farmer from down the road, who will come up with the tractor and the required implement attachments to clear the snow away and be that friendly face that ‘just happened to be passing at that time.

It is the type of service you just could not put a value on.

And when motorists get stick in snow drifts, invariably, it will be farmers who come along, again in their tractors, to help dig them out.

And, again, this is a service that comes at a ‘zero’ cost.

And, of course, snow will always turn to rain. Severe flooding is now a reality in many areas of the country throughout the autumn and winter period.

And who are the guys that provide the frontline response to so many rural families caught in such circumstances?

You guessed it - it’s the ever reliable farmer and other family members.

Farming communities

But this commitment of giving is one that actually starts within farming communities.  

For example, it is not unknown for a dairy farmer to enter the milking parlour at some very early hour of the morning, only to find that the generator or some other piece of equipment is not working.

Invariably, it’s the quick phone call to a neighbour down the road that ensures the little bit of extra help required to get the cows milked in some form of orderly fashion is delivered.

Providing real help to people in need around the word is a principle that is hardwired into the DNA of all Irish farming families.

No doubt, this amazingly positive facet to their character can be traced back to the impact of An Gorta Mór (Great Famine) and its aftermath.

Irish charities with their roots embedded in all our rural communities have done so much good work in trying to overcome disadvantages experienced in other countries over many decades.

And this momentum continues to build.

So as we all prepare to celebrate the Christmas 2025 season, it is worth reflecting on the tremendous commitment made by farming families to their local communities every day of the year.