Kinnegad farmer featured in Teagasc water quality series
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Kevin Dardis, who farms at Rattin, Kinnegad.Image 2 of 2
At the launch of the From the Fields to the Boyne video series: Noel Meehan, Teagasc; Matthew Walker, Producer of the series; Donal O’Keeffe, Featured Farmer; Fiona Doolan, Teagasc; John Horgan, Kepak and Chair of Boyne Catchment Water Group; Godfrey & Liz Potterton, Featured Farmers; Pat Dillon, Director of Research, Teagasc; Bartle and Renee Clarke, Featured Farmers and Kevin Dardis, Featured Farmer. LEFT: Kevin Dardis, who farms at Rattin, Kinnegad.A Kinnegad farmer whose family has farmed in the area for around 750 years is featured in the latest episode of a Teagasc video series highlighting efforts to protect water quality along the River Boyne catchment.
Kevin Dardis, who farms at Rattin, Kinnegad, with his father Patrick, mother Margaret and younger brother Colm, features in the third episode of From the Fields to the Boyne, a five-part series showcasing farmers taking practical steps to protect and enhance local waterways.
The Dardis family operates a beef finishing farm alongside an early section of the Kinnegad River, which later forms part of the Westmeath-Meath boundary before flowing through Kinnegad and joining the River Boyne beyond Clonard.
For Kevin, the river has been a constant presence throughout his life and is closely linked to memories of his childhood and the local community.
He recalls the bridge over the Kinnegad River behind the family home as a meeting place where neighbours gathered to look at swans and fish, and where children swam during warm weather.
The river also brought together communities on both sides of the county boundary, despite the traditional sporting rivalry between Westmeath and Meath.
Today, Kevin is focused on ensuring that the river remains protected for his own children and future generations.
The Dardis family has introduced a range of measures on the farm, including establishing a riparian zone and planting trees alongside the river. Care is also taken over when and where slurry is spread near the watercourse.
The family has invested in a slurry tanker fitted with a trailing shoe, allowing slurry to be applied directly at ground level.
A further 1,000 metres of fencing is planned to restrict livestock access to the river and existing drinking points, while four solar-powered water pumps have been purchased to provide water to troughs in the fields.
Kevin, who spent almost 20 years working off-farm before returning to agriculture, said farmers were custodians of the land for their generation.
The five-part From the Fields to the Boyne series explores farming, water quality, habitats and the people living and working throughout the catchment, with episodes released each Tuesday at 8pm on YouTube.