County Roscommon men demonstrate how to build and secure a traditional cock of hay
Paddy O'Connor and Christy Rogers from Ballinagare demonstrate how a cock of hay is built. Pic: Breda Durr
As modern machinery continues to transform Irish farming, some traditional skills are becoming increasingly rare. Among them is the art of building and securing a traditional cock of hay — a practice once common in every parish across rural Ireland.
Recently, farmers Paddy O'Connor and Christy Rogers from Ballinagare demonstrated these time-honoured methods, showing how hay was harvested, stacked and preserved long before the arrival of balers and plastic wrap. Working with pitchforks and generations of experience, they carefully built a large cock of hay.
One of the most fascinating stages of the process was the making of the hay rope, or súgán. Using long stems of hay twisted together by hand, the rope was fashioned into a strong cord capable of securing the stack against wind and weather. The technique requires patience, strength and skill, knowledge that was once passed naturally from one generation to the next.
After the rope was prepared, it was carefully drawn around the completed haycock. With one farmer guiding the rope and another applying tension, the stack was firmly secured. In years gone by, this method was essential to prevent winter storms from loosening the hay and causing valuable fodder losses.
The demonstration also highlighted the close relationship between farming traditions and community life. Before mechanisation, neighbours often gathered to help one another during the hay season, sharing labour, experience and stories while racing against changing weather conditions.
Today, few farmers still possess the knowledge required to build and secure a haycock in the traditional manner. Yet preserving these skills remains important, not only as a reminder of Ireland's agricultural heritage but also as a tribute to the ingenuity and hard work of previous generations.
The completed haycock stood proudly in the summer sunshine, secured with hand-twisted hay ropes and built entirely by traditional methods. It served as a powerful reminder of a farming era when skill, teamwork and an understanding of the land were among a farmer's most valuable assets.
As agriculture continues to evolve, demonstrations such as these ensure that the knowledge and traditions which shaped rural Ireland are not lost to history.
