Anthony Leneghan

Anthony Leneghan recently took over his family farm near Castlebar County Mayo. The farm is fragmented and a total of 13 hectares, some of which is situated directly on the seafront. Anthony runs a small flock of about 30 horned sheep, producing ewe lambs for breeding. The soil is dry and sandy, meaning the sheep overwinter outdoors as they do not damage the land. The farm is very extensively managed and external inputs are minimal. Much of the grassland is diverse pasture with an abundance of plants such as yellow rattle, legumes and composites. Anthony joined the Reap scheme in 2021 and achieved the highest score on the field assessment due to the abundance of plant and grass species in his meadows. Anthony has planted 1200 blackthorn and hawthorn trees to form a new hedgerow on the land. There is a healthy population of hares and rabbits on the farm. Anthony is proud to farm in a manner that protects the wildlife and biodiversity on the land. He runs a family butcher shop with his wife in Castlebar.

Nomination:
Anthony joined the Reap scheme in 2021 and achieved the highest score on the field assessment due to the abundance of plants such as yellow rattle, legumes, composites etc. In addition he has opted to plant some hedgerow under the scheme as a complimentary action. Anthony farms sheep with very low inputs of chemical fertilizers.
Nominator: Thomas Kelly, Advisor, Teagasc