20 September 2024

Forestry, farming and a furnace

Noel Kennedy, Forestry Advisor at Teagasc, tells us how diversification streams are helping to brighten the future for a small Co. Mayo farm.

Most mornings before his long commute to work, Mayo farmer Paul Maguire (pictured above) follows a simple routine. Having checked the stock and walked the dogs, he steps into his forest for five minutes.

In that short time he immerses himself in the calmness – ahead of a day’s work in social care with the Brothers of Charity, where he supports adults with intellectual and mental health challenges. The wondrous calming of the trees is an experience he would like to share with others.

For 30 years, Paul has been farming in Furnace, near Partry, on environmentally-sensitive land along the Cloon river flowing into Lough Mask. Inherited from an uncle, it was a traditional small west of Ireland cattle farm – small fields, marginal land and low income.

In the early years, Paul remained faithful to the suckler farming he inherited. But over time, while juggling a full-time job and starting a family, the realities of this type of farming became clear. Business as usual was not viable. To stay farming he needed to diversify.

Diversification streams – forestry

Forestry appealed to Paul. Between 2007 and 2011, he availed of Afforestation grants and premiums to plant 30 acres of commercial conifers and broadleaf trees. Trees provide a better and more secure return from his most marginal land and will in time provide income from timber. But Paul is also looking to a range of vital ecosystem services the trees are providing while complementing the farm’s existing native woodlands and blanket bog – two of Ireland’s most ecologically important and threatened habitats.

Since 2019, new life is being breathed into the ancient Oak, Birch and Hazel under the Woodland Conservation Scheme. This is helping to secure the woodland’s long term future. by encouraging natural regeneration and planting a new generation of trees This forms part of Paul’s vision to manage all his forests using a Continuous Cover Forestry approach for long term tree retention.

With the active integration of his farming and forestry enterprises, Paul was an entrant in the 2024 RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Award where he was shortlisted for this prestigious award in recognition of his achievements to date. 

Diversification streams – farming

On his farming ground, Paul consolidated his economic and environmental ambitions as a participant in successive agri-environment schemes. In 2021, he joined the NPWS Farm Plan – a targeted five-year scheme for farming in areas of high conservation importance aimed at protecting water quality and biodiversity and prioritising the management of species rich grasslands.

With a reduced grazing area and strict grass management rules, Paul has changed his cattle enterprise and stock in recent years. He now rears Speckled Park heifer calves which he hopes to keep as cows and has plans to keep Droimeann cattle – one of the rare Irish cattle breeds and suited to this sensitive environment.

The blanket bog is largely untouched since turf cutting during the war and with this period of recovery appears in rude health, festooned with flowering heathers, bog cotton and bog asphodel. It’s wet, spongy soil is an ecological jewel as well as an increasingly valuable carbon store adding another unique facet to this multi-dimensional farm.

Exploring other opportunities…

The land in Furnace weaves its own magic and is a special place for Paul and his family. Appreciating this wonderful place they call home and how it can support positive health and wellbeing, Paul is exploring other diversification opportunities to share his land of which he is a guardian and contribute towards a sustainable future.  

Forest bathing

Taking time to connect with the forest and absorbing all it has to offer through all the senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – is at the heart of forest bathing or shinrin-yoku which originated in Japan. Paul has already welcomed a number of groups to his woodlands to experience forest bathing and hopes to welcome many more.

Social farming

In 2016 Paul was one of the pioneers of social farming in Mayo, a practice which allows people with intellectual and physical disabilities to be part of everyday farm chores from feeding and caring for stock to vegetable planting and dry stone wall building. It was this experience with social farming that opened the door for Paul to begin a career in social care.

Woodworking

Having returned to education as a mature student in 2003, Paul qualified with a degree in furniture design from Letterfrack College of Furniture Design. As a skilled woodworker, Paul is also hoping to offer woodworking classes as part of a social farming service, catering for visits by persons supported.

Knowledge Transfer Groups

This year, Paul has already hosted groups of fellow forest owners to his woodlands for peer to peer learning as part of DAFM funded Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group scheme.

Furnace

Furnace contains one of the oldest surviving examples of blast furnace in Ireland and the UK – hence the name of the area! Built in 1738, this rare structure from the early industrial revolution produced pig iron using locally mined iron for over a century and enabling the manufacture of agricultural tools during the early industrial development of agriculture.

A unique feature of this furnace is the remarkable condition of the sandstone lined chimney or Bosch, which remains free standing and a testament to the those who built it 286 years ago!  

Since 1992 Paul has been protecting and highlighting the cultural and industrial significance of the furnace. Having hosted several Heritage Week events and recently welcomed a group from Westport Civic Trust, he is actively seeking support from relevant state agencies to refurbish parts of the furnace and allow him to offer more structured tours of this unique historic site.

Long-term vision

As the guardian of the farm in Furnace for over thirty years, Paul Maguire has achieved so much. But he is the first to admit that his vision for environmental enhancement, social inclusivity and cultural appreciation has to be built around a sustainable farming model.  Innovative diversification streams and determination will be central to the future of this small farm in Mayo which is so dear to the Maguire family. But have no doubt the spirit to survive and thrive burns brightly like the furnace that was working here two centuries ago!

Useful information

Find out more about the 2023-2027 Afforestation and forest management schemes here.

For general forestry information, click here.

Enter the 2025 RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Awards, closing to entries on October 7 2024, here.   

This article first appeared in the September/October edition of Today’s Farm. Find out more about the publication here.