In Pictures: Tractor protest sees Donegal farmers out in force

Donegal farmers have taken part in a nationwide protest which took place in solidarity with EU farming communities. Click on the arrows to see Clive Wasson's photographs of the protest.

The demonstrations, led by the IFA, were in support of farmers in France, Germany, Belgium and other countries who have been protesting about over-regulation, onerous bureaucracy and income pressure.

There was a huge show of support from local farmers, with tractors lining the inbound lane of the Manorcunningham to Letterkenny dual carriageway from 7pm on Thursday. 

Aontu's Letterkenny LEA candidate, Mary T Sweeney says she is fully behind the tractor protests.

"Farmers have been very hard done by this government," she said. "The increase in the cost of farm fertiliser has crippled farmers. 

"The Mercosur trade agreement by the EU with South America will decimate the Irish beef farmer and is incredibly bad for the environment when we consider the fact that beef production down there involves deforestation, overgrazing and forest fires at a colossal scale, not to mention the carbon footprint associated with transporting the product to the EU. It's completely senseless.

"Many farmers are fighting for their family livelihoods and ability to survive. Of the 130,000 farmers in the state, only one-third are making enough from the farm to support their families. That is absolutely terrible."

"Another third are surviving because the farmer is also working off the farm to supplement the family income. A full third of farmers are simply not earning enough to live at all. These farmers are being pushed into poverty, debt and off the land."