FARM FORESTRY ACTION OPEN DAY

Timber & Non-Timber Uses of Broadleaf Woodland & Agroforestry

Sunday 27 September 2026 | 10:00–17:00

Join us for a practical day exploring the many ways trees can be integrated into a working farm — from producing valuable timber and firewood to fruit, nuts, mushrooms, honey, livestock shelter and biodiversity.

The day will include practical demonstrations, woodland management, timber processing, agroforestry, fruit and nut growing, beekeeping, mushroom cultivation and deer management.

Programme  (also see Poster below)

Time	Activity	Location	Contributor
10:00	Fruit Tree Growing	Location A – Slieve Aughty Café	Cormac Griffith — Fruit Tree Specialist
10:30	Ecological Felling in Native Woodlands	Location C – Woodland Area	Julius Silvan — Forester & Andrew Coxhead — Contractor
10:30	Deer Butchering Demonstration	Location B – Outdoor Demonstration Area	Seamus O’Riain — FRS Deer Management Programme
11:00	Beekeeping	Location A –  Slieve Aughty Café	Patsy Cahalan — Local Beekeeper
11:30	Horse Logging Extraction – Demo Session 1	Location C – Woodland Area	Eamon McDonagh — Farmer
12:00	Low-impact Harvesting with Logbullet Forwarder – Demo Session 1	Location C  – Woodland Area	Andrew Coxhead — Contractor
12:00	Fruit Tree Pruning & Grafting	Location B  – Outdoor Demonstration Area	Cormac Griffith — Fruit Tree Specialist
13:00	Nut Growing	Location A  – Slieve Aughty Café	Paul McCormick & Jacinta French — Farmers
14:00	Agroforestry & Woodland Establishment Tour	Location C  – Woodland Area	Julius Silvan — Forester & Maureen Kilgore — Irish Agroforestry Forum
15:00	Horse Logging Extraction & Low-impact Forwarding – Demo Session 2	Location C  – Woodland Area	Eamon McDonagh — Farmer & Andrew Coxhead — Contractor
15:00	Mushroom Growing on Logs	Location B  – Outdoor Demonstration Area	Sean Bromley — Woodland Practitioner
15:00	Deer Hunting, Management & Venison	Location A  – Slieve Aughty Café	Seamus O’Riain — FRS Deer Management Programme
16:00	High Pruning for Timber Quality	Location C  – Woodland Area	Mike Carswell — Coppice & Greenwood Worker

Throughout the day — 10:00–17:00

Location A – Slieve Aughty Centre Café

• Forestry information — Noel Kennedy (Teagasc)
• Agroforestry information — Maureen Kilgore (Irish Agroforestry
• Demonstrator stands
• Café/restaurant

Location B – Outdoor Demonstration Area

• Fence-post making
• Mobile sawmill
• Firewood processing
• Other wood-processing demonstrations
• Demonstrator stands

This event is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Sunday 27 September · 10:00–17:00
Slieve Aughty Centre, Co. Galway

Free event. All welcome.