Author: National Ploughing Association

 We have been a Joinery company since 1986 when we were founded by managing director, John Burke. Our factory and offices are based in Ballyfermot, Dublin where we currently employ 27 people.

Due to the industry in which we operate we were hit particularly hard by the recession. However, through hard work, determination and perhaps most importantly, innovation, we refused to give in and we managed to keep our heads above water and have slowly begun to strive again.

In the depths of a global and national economic crisis, we knew we had to be proactive and positive and, in a sense, reinvent part of our company through a drive for innovation. This came in the form of the Irish Telephone Box.

Our managing director John combined a love of Irish history and his own memories of the original Irish telephone box with his in-depth knowledge , expertise and passion for carpentry and craftsmanship. And this is how the Irish telephone box was reborn.

It was then that we decided to recreate the Irish telephone box and bring these beautiful and iconic pieces of Irish history back to life. Having researched the original phone boxes we designed and hand-crafted models which are the exact same in terms of size and design as the original. The full sized model is which is our original is called the ‘The Yeats’ .

A number of famous Irish pubs have installed one of our phone boxes on their premises including The Brazen Head, The Baggot Inn, The Guinness Storehouse and Durty Nelly’s to name a few. We have also branched into the corporate sector with our sound reduction Yeats quite zone models and have done fit outs for companies such as Bank of Ireland, Facebook, Saleforce and Blueface.

For the domestic market we then began to make smaller models which are also hand crafted and built to scale of the full size model. We now produce 7 models of these beautiful phone boxes, each one is named after a famous Irish poet or playwright The smallest of these models is ‘The Swift’ which is used for table top storage for stationary, sweets, teabags etc. Larger models have been used for wine racks, garden ornaments, lanterns and even children’s play areas. Further functionalities include a lamp, mobile phone docking station, aquarium and even a jukebox. The success of the Telephone box range spurred us on to release a Post Box range also.

We also an extensive range of gifts and souvenirs which include Christmas decorations, key rings, fridge magnets, bottle openers etc.. These are very popular among tourists and Irish people alike which has been proven by our large and growing list of stockists such as Eason, Shannon Airport and Paddywagon tours.

We are very proud of the fact that we have taken an iconic piece of Irish history which had become obsolete and given it a new function. Our goal is to ensure that these beautiful pieces which were so important for so many Irish people at home and abroad are not forgotten and can now be given a new purpose. We aim to bring new life to an iconic piece of Irish history, and we feel we have been successfully doing that.

World renowned orthopaedic surgeon, Mr. Tadhg O’Sullivan is to visit this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

The public rarely, if ever, get the chance to meet and quiz surgical consultants at public events, let alone a consultant with the experience and reputation of Mr. O’Sullivan. For over 25 years of orthopaedic surgery Mr. O’Sullivan has been a world leading expert, working from Whitfield in Waterford since 2007.

Invited by N.P.A. Managing Director Anna May McHugh herself Mr. O’Sullivan will be at the Whitfield hospital and cancer centre stand in the Health and Wellness tent.

Mr. Tadhg O’Sullivan is a full time consultant and the Director of the Whitfield Orthopaedic and Sports Clinic.

It was developed with both recreational and competitive athletes in mind. From the initial consultation and investigations, to the surgery and rehabilitation, every aspect of care is tailored towards achieving a rapid return to sports.

Sportsmen and women are continually at risk of hip and groin injury; such injuries if inappropriately diagnosed and poorly treated may lead to recurrent problems and in many cases prolonged periods of enforced rest from sports and activities; some injuries will result in premature retirement from sports altogether.

Graduating from University College Cork (M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O.) in 1978, he was awarded a Masters (Ortho) from Liverpool University in 1990 and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), in Orthopaedics surgery, from Edinburgh University in 1991.In 2006 he received an Honary Fellowship from the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

From 1993 to 2007 he worked as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to the South Eastern Health Board. In 2007, he moved his practice to the Whitfield Orthopaedic and Sports Clinic.He has also worked as a member of faculty for teaching techniques in Arthroscopic Knee Surgery, RCSI since 1996.

This is wonderful opportunity for the public to meet and question a genuine expert in his field.

If you would like to learn more about Whitfield’s orthopaedic or other services and facilities, you can visit Whitfield Clinic on www.whitfieldclinic.ie.

Aldi Ireland announced a new partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that will see Aldi provide a substantial investment to support ‘Play Rugby’, a national IRFU initiative for school children over the next four years.

Launched recently at Aldi’s Terenure store by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Paul O’Connell, Aldi Play Rugby will assist teachers, coaches and parents involved in rugby at primary school level to develop a rugby programme in their school with the overall goal of encouraging school children to get active, participate in regular exercise and to eat healthily. The IRFU and Aldi aim to increase the number of children participating in the initiative to over 100,000 by 2018. The programme will include rugby blitzes held around the country with a national festival staged at the Aviva Stadium in early 2017.

Speaking at the launch, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said, “Getting the whole country more active requires all of us to work together and I would like to congratulate Aldi for lending its support to the wonderful Aldi Play Rugby initiative. We know how important it is for children to be physically active and encouraging them to do so at a young age sets the foundations for later life. I would encourage teachers and parents from schools across the country to get involved in Aldi Play Rugby and help encourage children and young people to be active.”

Stephen Hilditch, President of the Irish Rugby Football Union, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Aldi on board as the Play Rugby sponsor.  Aldi’s support will enable the initiative to train and support more teachers around the country which in turn will result in more young people getting the opportunity to experience the game of rugby. Participation in team sports has a number of social and health benefits as well as teaching young people essential life skills.”

The Aldi Play Rugby initiative provides equipment, tools and a training course for teachers, coaches and parents in schools across the country. The IRFU will have over 100 Community Rugby Officers providing over 63,000 coaching support hours guiding teachers, coaches and parents through the process of introducing a rugby programme to schools for children between the ages of 6 to 14. Last year approximately 2,500 teachers participated in the programme.

Aldi will feature healthy recipes in its weekly in-store Specialbuys magazine to further support the initiative. Established in 2009, Play Rugby has grown steadily with 64,835 children taking part in 2015 across Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Group Managing Director of Aldi Stores Ireland, Giles Hurley said, “We are delighted to be partnering with the IRFU and supporting an initiative such as Play Rugby which aims to encourage children to be physically active. Making a positive impact on young people in the communities we serve and encouraging a healthy lifestyle amongst our customers are both of huge importance to Aldi. Our long established Super 6 Fruit & Vegetables and Super 6 Meat offers are market leading and allow families across Ireland to enjoy healthy and nutritious food at amazing value. As a business that is rooted in communities across the country for almost 17 years, we’re committed to helping more young people, teachers and coaches benefit from this fantastic initiative. We truly hope that by introducing children across Ireland to rugby through our Play Rugby programme, we will inspire the next generation of Paul O’Connell’s to join their local rugby clubs. There are 116 rugby clubs within a fifteen minute drive of our 126 stores across Ireland which displays the accessibility of rugby to children.”

“When I was asked by Aldi to come on board as an ambassador for Play Rugby I was delighted.” said Paul O’Connell. “The popularity of rugby has skyrocketed over the past few years and any initiative that encourages children to be active and get outdoors deserves all the support it can get. My aim now is to encourage as many schools as possible to get involved, and perhaps we’ll see the next generation of rugby superstars.”

Teachers, coaches, parents and school children interested in getting involved in Aldi Play Rugby can register at www.aldi.ie/playrugby from September 9^th.

Platts Animal Bedding have been supplying animal bedding to dairy farmers for more than 40 years. With a range of sawdust and wood shaving products to suit all farm systems, they can provide a solution whatever your bedding requirements.

Supplying products in bags and in bulk, the recent installation of a new bulk loading system at their production site in Wrexham, North Wales has meant an increased efficiency for bulk customers, particularly those in Ireland.

Platts’ best selling products are those specifically designed to help farmers cut their costs by using less product, and to keep cattle free of mastitis.

For dairy farmers with mats or mattresses, Powder BED ®(exclusive to Platts)– is the most economic product available, designed to keep cattle clean, dry and comfortable using just a coffee cupful of product per mat. A bag of Powder BED ® covers approximately 50 mats, making it one of the most cost-effective products on the market.

Because of the ultra-soft consistency of Powder BED ®, hock rubbing is prevented, and the talcum powder-like sawdust keeps cows comfortable as well as dry.For farmers who prefer a less dusty alternative to Powder BED ® yet are looking forthe same benefits- FineBed is the ideal option.

Working with Irish Customers…

Whilst their own diverse fleet of vehicles deliver to farms throughout England, Wales and Scotland, delivery to Ireland is arranged by the customer. Product is ordered via the Platts sales team- and is loaded by staff on site at their production facility, Wrexham- with your haulier of choice coming to collect your order. For bulk deliveries a moving-floor trailer can be loaded within the hour, using new bulk-loading technology.Alternatively, Platts can recommend external hauliers who are experienced at handing their product.

Co. Tyrone farmer Noel Bingham (Glenier Farms Limited) uses baggedPowder BED ® for his herd. Milking 400 Holsteins, cattle comfort and hygiene is of utmost importance to maximise milk yield. “As a user of Platts Animal Bedding for the past two and a half years we have found Powder BED ® to be extremely effective as a product for keeping the beds dry and therefore controlling mastitis. We use a trusted haulier to bring our load from Wrexham. Our account manager understands our requirements and we’ll continue to get our supplies from Platts in the future”.

Platts Animal Bedding will be exhibiting at the National Ploughing Championships, Tullamore, in September- visit their website for updates on stand location- and pay a visit to meet the team and discuss how Platts products can improve cattle comfort on your farm.

In the meantime, you can find out more about Platts products at www.plattsanimalbedding.co.uk and discover the perfect bedding to work for your farm systems.