Farming Over the Centuries

After the Stone Age some changes happened in farming in Ireland. Over thousands of years farming in Ireland grew and developed. People still hunted for food but most of the food soon came from farming.

Celtic settlement

This drawing shows what a Celtic settlement in Ireland looked like. The Celts began arriving in Ireland around 1000BC. They both farmed and hunted for food.

Celtic settlement

Celtic settlement

This drawing shows what a Celtic settlement in Ireland looked like. The Celts began arriving in Ireland around 1000BC. They both farmed and hunted for food.

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More people like the Celts and the Normans arrived in Ireland and they brought different ways of farming with them. In this way farming changed a little over the centuries.

Some things stayed the same because people still had to plant and harvest crops and they still had to look after their animals. Some of the basic methods of farming stayed the same up until the time of our grandparents.

As we said earlier, the Neolithic people brought many animals with them to Ireland from Britain and other parts of Europe. These animals were originally wild but the Neolithic people tamed them so they could be used as farm animals. The type of animals found on Irish farms remained the same for thousands of years.

Cattle in sheds

This photograph shows some cattle being fed in a modern shed. Cattle are usually brought into sheds like these during the long winter. Here they are warm and are fed on hay or silage.

Irish Farmers' Journal

Cattle in sheds
Irish Farmers' Journal

Cattle in sheds

This photograph shows some cattle being fed in a modern shed. Cattle are usually brought into sheds like these during the long winter. Here they are warm and are fed on hay or silage.

Irish Farmers' Journal

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