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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Mayo sheepfarmer Martin Gavin with Ella McSweeney
A FORMER Chairman of Mayo IFA has been nominated for a People’s Choice Media Award for the interview he did with me on Ear to the Ground on his diagnosis with bipolar.
Sheep farmer Martin Gavin from Delphi near Leenane featured on the popular RTÉ farming programme Ear to the Ground last December where he opened up on his mental health struggles while running a busy farm.
The interview with Ear to the Ground presenter Ella McSweeney has been nominated in this year's Mental Health Media Awards in the Shine Audience Choice category which is the only category chosen by the public.
For the programme, Ella spent the day with Martin on his farm along the Mayo and Galway border to discuss the depths of his struggles and occasional peaks, as well as the impact on his family.
Martin who was chairman of Mayo IFA from 2008 to 2010 spoke candidly on the show in the hopes of shedding light on thenuances of living with the difficult condition, and reveals his turning point came when his concerned daughter stepped in.
“You can't solve this on your own, you have to get the help, and the help is there,” he told Ella.
The interview struck a chord with many people who suffer from mental illness with many farmers reaching out to Martin following the airing of the programme.
The public have until Sunday, October 27 to vote in the category and can do so via www.headline.ie/shine-audience-choice-award.
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