MARIANN Klay (below) of Swordlestown Little Stud is delighted to have made the longlist for the the Farming for Nature initiative which seeks to acknowledge and support those farmers who farm in a way that will improve the natural health of our countryside.

Nominated by Soil Ireland adviser Tom Stapleton, the citation reads: “Mariann is farming in Swordlestown Little since 1998. She is a qualified vet and is originally from Switzerland. She breeds thoroughbred racehorses on the farm.