Irish farmers hope to craic the US market with saucy 2017 calendar
The hilarious Irish farmers calendar is going global with its 2017 edition - having already received its first order from Massachusetts in the United States
CHEEKY Irish farmers have been busy posing topless with all creatures great and small for a cult annual calendar ... and they've now launched a book.
The hilarious Irish farmers calendar has become a staple on walls across the globe with the 2017 edition already receiving its first order from Massachusetts in the US.
The 2017 calendar sees agricultural hunks from Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Galway show off their farmers' tans to a global audience.
The muscle-bound gang pose with goats, rabbits, a highland cow, sheep, a pig, a dog and even snails to produce playful snaps in support of Irish charity Bóthar, who aim to tackle worldwide poverty and hunger.
The new snaps see one raunchy farmer rock the same matching sunglasses as a lamb while February's featured farmer poses with snails creeping along his arms.
January's offering sees a topless farmer show off his muscles to the disapproval of a Highland cow while June's model is given the runaround by a chicken.
The calendar is the brainchild of Ciara Ryan and has now spanned eight years, seeing photographers travel to a snail farm in Carlow, a pet farm in Kilkenny and Newbridge House and a farm in Donabate, Dublin, to get the best shots.
And Ciara is hoping the photos exceed the reach of previous years after notching up orders in the US, Australia, UK, Germany and Poland as well as France, Hong Kong and South Africa.
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Both Ciara and photographer Ian Shipley said they have been taken aback with the response after launching the new 2017 snaps.
Ciara said: "The book has been very well received. People think the farmers quotes are hilarious. They're a funny bunch of characters and it's been met with all five-star reviews on Amazon. The Americans love it.
"As for the calendar, it has grown gradually more popular over the years. For instance, in the early years we entered the Calendar Club stores at no. 11, we then started to beat the Cliff Richard and Daniel O'Donnell calendars and hitting the top five positions.
"We went on to beat the Man United and Liverpool calendars with a number two position and for the first time last year we made it to number one, beating the world's biggest boyband One Direction.
"This year, we tried to feature some new animals with ideas such as a highland cow and we tried to make snails 'sexy'. I believe we succeeded.
"We are in the Calendar Club stores in the UK for the first time ever this year and they have our new book 'Irish Farmers' on the shelf too so we're hoping both will be seen by a wider audience and people get a good laugh out of them too.
"The Irish farmers sure know how to have the craic."
Ian said: "All the lads were brilliant and managed to keep smiling despite being a bit cold minus their shirts."
The calendar is available at www.farmercalendar.com for €10.99 (£9.49) while the Irish Farmers book - published by St. Martin's/MacMillan- retails at £10.
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