Optimum Climate
With its temperate ocean climate, Ireland does not suffer from the excessive temperature fluctuations experienced by other areas at its latitude. Winters are short and mild, summers never too dry or sultry. Our hills and mountains, near most of the coast, create a safe shelter from wind and ocean currents. Under such favourable conditions, livestock are free to roam the lush green pastures from mid-March to mid-November. During the colder winter months, livestock are fed preserved grass known as silage.