Despite warnings from agri-economists about the inevitable price volatility of milk, many dairy farmers were in a celebratory mood last night as quotas came to an end.
None more so than in the small village Grangemockler in south Tipperary, where local residents hosted a milk qouta party.
The brains behind the operation was a local dairy farmer named Walter Power who thought the ending of quotas deserved its own celebration - including a raffle and a musical interlude courtesy of John Bermingham, who wrote a special song for the occasion.
Out in the car park of the parish hall, there was a roped-off floodlit area, where suddenly at five-to-midnight two jersey cows appeared much to the excitement of the thronging crowds.
Local farmer Paddy Power was chosen to milk the final cow of the quota era. Then at exactly midnight four schoolchildren helped to milk the first cow of the new 'quota-free' period.
And like most events that take place in Tipperary, from weddings to birthdays, the night's festivities were rounded off with a rousing rendition of Slieve na mBan...
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