Chris Murtagh had just finished his Leaving Certificate in 1984 when he took over the family farm.
After four decades at the helm of the Castlegaddery organic farm just outside Ballynacargy, the forward-thinking farmer has spoken about the many changes he’s witnessed, the challenges he’s faced, and how adapting to one of these challenges led to a life-changing event.
40 years of change
In Murtagh’s Organic Farm, the focus is on rescuing animals, biodiversity, education, workshops and welcoming visitors to their seasonal events but when Chris’ father James Murtagh originally bought the farm in the 1940s, it was a small concern with some dairy cows and a few sheep. In the mid-70s, he bought 70 more acres of land and expanded the farm.
In 1984, Chris did the Leaving Cert and then took over the farm and the first thing he did was buy more land.
“At the time it cost £1000 an acre, compared to today’s cost of €12-15k per acre. Investment in land was a good move especially if you consider there is no more land being made available for farming with towns stretching out into the countryside.
“I also wanted to make the farm organic. I thought it was the way forward for us. We’re a small nation producing only a certain amount of food, we need to find a niche market and add value to everything you’re selling.”
Biodiversity has become a household word in the last number of years but Chris was doing it long before that.
“I was already working in a biodiversity friendly way. We didn’t call it biodiversity, it was just nature. I grew up with older people passing on wisdom of herbs, cures, it’s all in nature.”
In 2008, while planting 7,000 trees with the help of just one friend, a rare grass was discovered. To this day the grass and trees remain untouched, and Chris works with National Parks and Wildlife to enhance the natural landscape. As part of this he has created a clean pond to support water dependent plants and animals and to also help protected species such as the common frog and newt. They also have a bog, untouched for 20 years and secured from the public.
Challenges
The farmer has met many challenges over the years, mostly related to increasing costs, global trends and the economy, but his ability to adapt has seen him succeed in the tough farming sector.
“Back in 1984, I remember buying 80 ewes. I got £400 for their wool. To do the same today, would cost you money. The price of wool has gone down, the cost of shearing has increased. Nobody is buying Irish wool anymore due to the clothes coming from China that you wear once or twice and then throw away. That causes another huge problem with the pollution caused by shipping them back and dumping them in lakes and seas.
“Oil and diesel price increases have created a huge problem because the price of plastic for around the bales of silage is produced with oil.
“I had cows and sheep on rented land. I was paying £80 an acre at the time, now it could be £300-£400 per acre. Big operators are buying the land or leasing it and farmers can’t compete.”
Chris was managing to keep afloat, farming lambs organically, counting Marks and Spencer amongst his customers, until 2008 when the bust came. At that stage he had bought another farm of land.
“Nobody was spending money back then so I stopped with the lambs. In 2010, I started landscaping. I had always done it as a hobby and we were still farming cattle but I had to do something else and the landscaping took off. I did some building too.”
Life-changing
It was during one of these landscaping jobs in 2019 that Chris’s life changed for the better when he met Gráinne McGeown.
“Chris was landscaping our garden in Mullingar, we didn’t know each other before that,” Gráinne recalled. “I was in Mullingar hospital and couldn’t get dad so I rang Chris, who landed over and gave me his jumper (as I was feeling quite cold.) Then he did the garden – it was beautiful and my Daddy liked him, so I thought ‘Mmm.’
“After that, I was in hospital for three months and, though I only knew him a few weeks, he came to see me most nights. When I got out, I needed someone to adapt my house because I needed everything higher for my back. Chris did the kitchen and two days after he finished he called over and asked me to marry him.
“My dad had just died and though I didn’t particularly want a wedding, I did want to marry him. We got married on New Year’s Eve in 2020 in the middle of the lockdown by our family friend Bishop Michael Smith, who Chris had also done landscaping for. There were just 25 of us there!”
Gráinne and Chris now share the farm work with Gráinne doing the administration and event organisation and Chris doing the physical work and farming.
They also share dreams for the future of Murtagh’s Organic Farm, including a return to organic farming, an education centre, and to have the whole farm accessible. They have lodged planning permission for glamping pods and wish to see better signage and electric charging stations from the canal.
Animal Farm
The only animals on Murtagh’s Organic Farm at the moment are the rescues, who are treated like VIP guests and living their best life. Gráinne explained how they came to live with them.
“It started when we got a call to take ducks that had been found on the canal. After that, I found some goats and then we took the donkeys. Thelma and Louise, our pigs, were rescued from a roundabout in Swords and it just kept going.
“We had no intentions of doing this but we ended up with so many animals that, to help us make a bit of money to keep us going while Chris was trying to get the farm in order, we said we’d open it up at weekends to pay for their food and vet bills. We ended up with donkeys, lots of different breeds of pigs, lambs, sheep, goats, ducks, hens and a White Connemara pony called Séamus who comes to us for respite every winter. We’ll get more goats soon, I love them. The children love to come up and see all the animals.”
Christmas on the Farm
The Murtaghs have a very special treat for all the good girls and boys out there as Santa is arriving at the farm at 10am on Saturday, 14 December!
As part of the Christmas on the Farm experience, Santa will meet children from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December, with booking essential and mid-week bookings still being taken from schools and local groups.
“We will have a new grotto and a live crib with a beautiful life-sized handmade crib, but the animals have to audition for their place!” Gráinne noted. “Lady, Lilly and Bessie the donkeys, Tilly the lamb and the three little pigs will be there. Last year Billy made the cut, he might do it again. Séamus is amazing with children, especially children with special needs, so he has a good chance.”
Only some of the animals are interested in acting but Gráinne promised all the others will be on the farm, happy to meet the children as usual.
“For arts and crafts, this year children will make decorations for their Christmas Trees. We’ll have a market up there too.
The farm shop will be open selling hot chocolate, coffees and tasty treats along with farm toys, fresh veg, local preserves and handmade crafts.”
She also advised visitors to dress for the weather as the grotto, live crib, crafts and shop may be indoors but the excitement continues outside.
“We’re turning our fairy garden into an elf garden and the Elf on the Shelf will be hiding. The children will get a map and they have to find him in the gardens, which won’t be easy because he’s very good at hiding. The place will be all lit up.”
For the first time, Christmas on the Farm will host an extra evening just for adults who want to get in on the festive fun. On Sunday, 22 December, after the main family event, they will reopen their gates to neighbours and all adults.
“All adults are welcome and we also want to take the opportunity to thank our fantastic community.
There will be all the elements – music, refreshments, the live crib and a magical walk in the forest.” This event is not yet on the website so contact Gráinne directly.
Bookings can be made at murtaghsorganicfarm.com or by contacting Gráinne at 087-614-9471.
