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Animal behaviour It is better to rely on animal behaviour principles instead of sheer force to restrain and control animals during handling. Fine-tuning the design of animal handling facilities will enhance animal welfare and reduce stress and injuries. Herd instinct Cattle prefer to remain in groups. Isolating individual cattle from the group (unless sick) causes stress and agitation and should be avoided. Keep back a companion animal if necessary. Vision Cattle are poor judges of detail and distance. They dislike dark or shadowy areas. Provide good natural and artificial lighting in and around handling facilities, particularly where the crush is. Handling facilities under a roof overhang will have plenty of natural light. Use extra rooflights for facilities within buildings. Use extra double fluorescent lamps for artificial lighting. Key facts • Cattle are wary of any changes in their path, e.g. abrupt changes in floor material, outside visual distractions, etc. • Cattle are less surefooted on downward slopes and prefer to move uphill. • Excessive noise e.g. shouting, machinery and dogs can alarm them and cause unpredictable behavior. About DoneDeal #Farming Employing over 50 people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell farming machinery and stock online. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing online. Stripe secure payments are just one of the ways that DoneDeal has been furthering this mission. Interest in Farming overall is growing 25% year over year on Donedeal, with over 13M ad views per month on the site’s farming section. DoneDeal has had over 40M unique advertisement views on listings for beef cattle so far this year.

Collecting pen Where the handling facilities are located independent of buildings, the collecting pen should ideally be able to hold a number of cattle that fits in with group sizes within the herd. Where handling facilities are located in, or adjacent to, e.g. a slatted unit the pens in the slatted unit could be used for collecting and holding animals. The floor area required per animal will vary depending on size. As a general guide allow: • Young cattle: 0.9 to 1.1 m² • Finishing cattle: 1.4 to 1.7 m² • Suckler cows with calves: 2.3 to 2.75 m² It is easier to control and move cattle in a long narrow pen rather than a wide square one. Pen widths of 4.5 to 6 m are recommended (depending on herd size). The entrance to it should be at least 3 m wide to allow easy access. Forcing pen The forcing pen leads from the collecting pen to the race. The forcing pen should be funnel shaped as it approaches the mouth of a race. One side of the funnel must be straight. The angle of the funnel is critical and should not exceed 30°. If the angles are wider, cattle may block or turn at the mouth of the race or two cattle may become jammed at the race entrance. The widest point of the pen should approximately be 3 to 4 m. The forcing pen should hold enough cattle to fill the race. Circular forcing pens leading to a funnel entrance to the race are preferred to rectangular ones. Animals should not be tightly packed into the forcing pen as they may need to turn to enter the race. Race • Length: The race or chute should be 3.6 m minimum. A race of 9 m will hold 5 to 6 adult cattle. Long races (e.g. handling over 12 cattle) are not recommended. • Width: the internal width of the race will depend on the size and type of the largest cattle using it. As a general guideline, allow: adult stock 700-750 mm clear internal width. Exceptionally large stock (e.g. pedigree) may require facilities up to 900 mm wide. Young stock require an internal race width of approximately 500 mm. Very wide races may have to be altered temporarily for young stock e.g. fitting panels/planks to the side. • Height: 1.4-1.5 m above floor level. All surfaces must be smooth. Avoid protruding objects. Uprights should be spaced about 2 m apart. Side bars are normally spaced 350-400 mm apart. • Floor: Non slip concrete surface. • Tailbar: It should be possible to use a tailbar at various points along the race to prevent stock reversing out. • Facilitates drainage, e.g. via split drains. • Incorporates opening side panels/gates for easy release of animals if necessary. Catwalk A catwalk running outside the race: • Reduces the risk of injury to the operator. • Improves access and reach when handling stock. • Prevents cattle’s feet slipping out under the bottom rail. • Catwalks should normally be 250-400 mm high. The width of the catwalk should be wide enough to facilitate a safe and efficient working area. The recommended width should be approximately 1.1 m. The catwalk can be omitted along side the crush section if it is seen to restrict the operator’s access to the animal. Crush The crush may be part of the race or a separate facility at the end of the race. A well designed crush should incorporate the following features: • Quick release restraining gate. Different designs of proprietary head gates are available and the choice depends on the frequency of use and type of work to be done. • Have a tailbar/gate to prevent and control backward movement. • All around access to the animal, including at the rear. • A secure gate to hold back animals in the race is essential when accessing the rear of an animal. The animal in the crush must also be prevented from backward movement. • Removable side bars/gate for access to feet, udder, etc. • Have equipment for hoisting and restraining limbs. • Facilitate weighing if necessary. The weighing facility can be in a separate section of the race behind the crush • Preferably be under cover. • Free from sharp edges. • Non slip floor surface. • Facilitate access of a vehicle for loading of animals. Purpose-built crushes are commercially available. Typical dimensions are: • Length: 1,830 mm. • Width: 790 mm. • Height: 1,625 mm. Dispersal Pen This pen holds cattle until all cattle are treated or handled. It can facilitate the sorting of stock afterwards. Handling facilities in or near housing can use the pens in the housing for holding and dispersal. And most importantly, we want YOU to be safe. Safety passes or personnel passes are narrow vertical openings in gates or fences. They typically provide 300 to 350 mm of clear space for people to pass through. Locate passes wherever it is expected that people would otherwise have to climb over a fence or open a gate on a regular basis. Have a least one safety pass in each pen and one every 7.5-8 m in animal movement and handling passageways to allow someone to exit quickly. Avoid locating passes where animal flow is directly in line with, or at the pass, as excited animals may try to use the safety pass as an escape route and become trapped. Safety passes also allow someone to get in front of or behind a group of animals safely and with relative ease. We wish you every success this Winter and all the Winters to come. This information is publically available as part of the Teagasc Beef Manual available on Teagasc.ie #Farming

Poor ventilation in existing facilities is usually because inlets and/or outlets are absent or too small. Inlets and outlet areas should be at least brought up to the sizes outlined in the DAFM specification S101. Inlets typically used in Ireland are vented sheeting and spaced boarding. These are effective as long as there is at least a 1.5 m depth along under each eave. Fabric mesh materials are also effective and have the added advantage of letting in more light. Another method of improving airflow entry is to angle out the side cladding, at the bottom. Moving out the side cladding to leave a clear opening between the side wall of the shed and the side cladding, just below the top of the side wall, will provide a good inlet. Air is deflected upwards from the side wall as it enters. This can be done easily enough with box section steel. The box section will make it secure and will allow the gap width to be maximized. Where sheds have a wall built right up, the easiest solution is to knock off a few lines of blocks to provide a continuous opening. Monitor how it works to see if any more needs to be done. Small, inexpensive, changes are the best approach, followed by careful observation for improvements during the following housing period. Perhaps the ridge outlet area can be increased by, for example, raising the ridge cap. Spaced sheeting is really not practical unless all the sheeting is being replaced. With round roofed sheds raising sheets (2 per bay) along the top by about 225 mm is effective. Raising sheets is a practical method to turn the roof into a “breathing roof”. One or two lines of sheeting per bay can be raised above the plane of the roof by about 100 mm to 150 mm with an overlap of about 100 mm to 150 mm, at each side, to prevent in-blown rain. The raised sheets run up along the slope of the roof (which is usually across the width of the shed) and possibly up and over a round roofed shed, as well, if one is present. The size of the outlet can be calculated by multiplying the total length of all the openings by the raised height and comparing them to the guidelines. Some new sheets will have to be used also. These are wider (960 mm or 990 mm) and may be used over the opening as a single line of sheets (most common way), or possibly could be cut into three strips to be used with existing sheets. The new sheets are available in the 750 mm width also. There are different ways to fix the raised sheets. The simplest way would seem to fix box irons (weld cleats on them and bolt to the purlins) above the purlins at the right height and secure the sheets to the box iron with tech screws. The box iron should be long enough to support the overhang of the sheeting at either side. Light is also very important in animal housing, mainly for the animals but also for the person looking after and observing them. Any improvements to natural light that can be made in conjunction with making improvements in ventilation should be availed of. Checklist: Water An adequate supply of clean water for housed livestock is essential. • To avoid water freezing. locate pipes underground. • Do not locate troughs on external walls. • Use heavy gauge piping and minimise the number of joints. • Consider feeding each trough individually with un-jointed pipe runs. • 20 mm bore piping will be provide adequate flow rates for most situations. • Proprietary anti-fouling troughs will minimise requirements for cleaning. This information is publically available as part of the Teagasc Beef Manual available on Teagasc.ie #Farming

DoneDeal, the online farming marketplace, has invested significant resources in its platform in the last week in an effort to empower farmers to trade online during level 5 restrictions. The move means that beef farmers who currently list their stock on DoneDeal can now accept payments securely online for their cattle through DoneDeal’s secure digital payments solution, powered by Stripe Payments. Rob Hume, General Manager of DoneDeal, explains, “We are seeing the demand for Cattle online accelerate significantly online with the views on beef cattle listings growing over 48% year on year to September. During the first lockdown in April-May, DoneDeal saw an even greater growth rate reaching as high as +107% in April. Early data following the most recent lockdown on Wednesday 21st October shows an increase of +18% in online demand in the 7 days after lockdown as compared to the 7 days previous. At DoneDeal, we wanted to quickly provide an easy way for our beef farmers to ride the wave of demand as Level 5 restrictions continue.” Private Negotiation and secure payment. Rob continues, “Farmers can negotiate privately within DoneDeal’s messaging service as usual. Once both parties are happy, the seller can request payment directly from the buyer within the messaging service on DoneDeal. The transaction will then be processed safely and securely with the payment flowing to the seller’s bank account using Stripe Payments.” Below: DoneDeal sees another acceleration of demand and transaction in Beef Cattle stock online due to Level 5 restrictions. Easy Set Up The Irish owned site says that getting set up with this world-class payment facility on DoneDeal.ie is easy, with farmers just needing to hit the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button in their DoneDeal Profile to accept fully digital payments online. Interest in Farming overall is growing 25% year over year on Donedeal, with over 13M ad views per month on the site’s farming section. Rob concludes,” After the last lockdown, you can see that the trend stayed steady with interest in beef cattle on DoneDeal staying at levels above 2019. We hope that this move will help farmers trade securely and easily online and capitalize on that demand.” About DoneDeal Employing over 50 people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell farming machinery and stock online. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing online. Stripe secure payments are just one of the ways that DoneDeal has been furthering this mission. Interest in Farming overall is growing 25% year over year on Donedeal, with over 13M ad views per month on the site’s farming section. DoneDeal has had over 40M unique advertisement views on listings for beef cattle so far this year. This post was originally featured by our friends in the News. #Farming

By Justin Delaney Believe it or not the original Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959, was born out of the Suez crisis oil shortage and the demand for affordable motoring. It was a car that served incredibly well and would remain not just an icon but a very capable car right up until the last one was produced in 2000. Now under BMW ownership the MINI brand has taken on a new lease of life and has an incredibly strong following. Since the relaunch in 2001 many variants of the MINI have come to fruition but few have been as significant as the prospect of this completely electric version. The MINI Cooper SE is the second electrified MINI in the model line-up, joining the MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid. These two models have proved extremely popular and currently account for 19% of worldwide-electrified MINI sales. A quarter of all UK MINI Countryman orders are now for the plug-in hybrid version and with the popularity of electric vehicles rising, its looking like next year, a third of MINI 3-Door Hatch models built at Plant Oxford is expected to be the fully-electric version. Features So is this new electric MINI as good as the Cooper S we all know and love so much? Well, to look at it, you would think its just yet another cool MINI but the tell tail smooth front grill, power-spoke low drag alloys and the yellow detailing hints at something different. Inside its almost identical to a regular MINI Cooper S but when you flick the start toggle, things begin to change. Gone is the rumble of the combustion engine in favour of complete silence or a faint electro-drone to warn pedestrians of its presence outside. When you sink the go pedal 100km/h comes up in just 7.3 seconds, which isn’t far off the petrol powered Cooper S pace and the wall of torque is evident. But how does it get through the bends and can it still be regarded as a hot hatch? Well thanks to the clever package of battery cells spread along underneath the car, the centre of gravity is 30mm lower and it certainly doesn’t feel the whopping 145kg weight gain over its petrol powered sibling. B roads are negotiated with ease and stopping using the one-pedal’ function adapted from the BMW i3 is addictive. When you lift off the accelerator the re-gen slows the car aggressively in an effort to harvest otherwise wasted power back into the battery. You find yourself rarely touching the actual brake pedal! Power The MINI Cooper SE is powered by a single 32kWh electric motor to the front wheels via an automatic gearbox. It produces 184bhp just like the 2.0-litre petrol-powered Cooper S but as mentioned the electric MINI is considerably heavier. With the 11kW cable you can achieve a full charge in about 3.5 hours or from empty to 80% in 2.5 hours. Now that our Irish charge network is improving you should try avail of a local fast-charge station that will take an empty battery to 80% capacity in just 35mins. According to the WLTP test cycle, the MINI Cooper SE is rated to achieve 234km on a single charge, but realistically with the odd spirted drive and not entirely city use, we got a shade over 170km before we needed to plug it in. Safety The MINI Cooper SE offers driver-assistance technology such as forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, and rain-sensing windshield wipers and headlights. Back when this shape MINI was orininally crash tested in 2014 it scored four out of five stars awarded by EuroNCAP. It scored 79% for adult occupant protection, 73% for child protection, 66% for pedestrian protection and 66% in the safety assist category. A new shape would determine additional crash testing. Costs Buyers can choose between three trim options or ‘levels’ as they are known. Level 1 €27,764, Level 2 €30,405 and Level 3 €35,445, which was the vehicle we had on test. As expected each level adds more standard equipment like automatic air con, leatherette seats, larger wheels, parking assistance and the endless customisation options that MINI’s are famed for. Fitted as standard is a digital dashboard, Navigation including Real Time Traffic Information updates and front LED headlights. We can wholeheartedly recommend the Harmon Kardon sound system along with the 8.8-inch screen, which is now touch-sensitive as well as iDrive controlled that was fitted in our Level 3 spec car. Summary The MINI Cooper SE is one of 13 electrified vehicles the BMW Group currently offers across its brand portfolio. This will be increased to a total of 25 electrified models on the road by the end of 2023, with more than half of those models fully electric. For us the MINI Cooper SE will be one of the more exciting electric vehicles you will have to choose from. Yes it could benefit from a bigger battery to exploit a little more range but for urban dwellers, few electric cars offer this level of cool, at this price point. We think it takes the brand’s trademark go-kart handling into a new era of electrified driving and we would urge you to take a test drive. Be sure to check out our video car review below and you can check out the Mini Cooper S from Ireland's trusted Car Dealer's on DoneDeal here. About DoneDeal DoneDeal is for deals to feel great about from Ireland’s local trusted Car Dealers. Employing over 50 people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell premium cars online in Ireland. DoneDeal has onboarded Ireland's trusted car dealers to become the number one touchpoint for Irish consumers when buying premium cars. To put this in perspective, when scaled for Ireland, DoneDeal is comparable to AutoTrader in the UK. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing a car. The result has been the development of products and services that empower the Irish consumer, e.g., free basic history check on verified cars, in-depth history checks, warranty, and finance options. Buy Premium cars confidently with DoneDeal. #Motors

By Justin Delaney It’s a glorious sunny afternoon in Dublin City and here we find ourselves with the keys to the all-new Ford Kuga Hybrid at the Irish launch. This is a huge moment for Ford as the brand kicks off its electrified product offensive supported as part of the $11 billion investment for alternative powered vehicles. This new Kuga will be offered two powertrains to include a diesel and for the first time on a Ford passenger car a Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). The last Kuga was massive success for the brand so when it came to designing the new model, Ford were heavily influenced by feedback from European customers. The final result was a much more streamlined and modern looking vehicle that looks great from any angle. Yes you can see the traits of Focus shining through and indeed it does share some common parts but the distinctive profile of the Kuga will leave you in no doubt this is something totally new. Ford claim this is now the largest of the top 5 medium sized SUVs on the market in both length and width here in Ireland. Features Like the current range of Ford vehicles on offer buyers can opt for Titanium, ST Line, ST Line X; and Vignale specification. Our test vehicle was the ST Line X and it looked sublime from almost every angle. The sporty bumpers, larger wheels and ST Line badging gives the vehicle a real presence on the road with many observers nodding in appreciation. Inside it’s pretty good too and Ford have went for a simplified, less cluttered design by seamlessly integrated surfaces and using good quality materials throughout. The instrument panel positioning is perfectly within your eye line and optimised for greater space. To the centre console you get a floating 8-inch touchscreen with Navigation, which is also now standard across the range. Below this your eye will be drawn to the optional Rotary Gear Shift Dial for the eight-speed automatic transmission. An electric parking brake keeps things clean and leaves you with that spacious feeling. Power The powertrain choices for the new Kuga are short and sweet. Buyers can opt for the 1.5 litre EcoBlue 120PS diesel manual or the PHEV model with the 2.5 litre Duratec 225PS petrol hybrid engine. It’s at this point I can almost hear you trembling at the thoughts of having to run a 2.5 litre petrol engine! Well fear not, the 2.5l four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle is extremely efficient. In the normal combustion engine cycle the intake valve stays closed when the piston moves up on its compression stroke, creating pressure in the cylinder. In an Atkinson-cycle engine, the valve stays open slightly longer. This means there’s now less pressure in the cylinder and the piston doesn’t have to work as hard to overcome friction. This in turn improves fuel efficiency and the petrol vapour escapes back into the intake manifold through that open valve back into the cycle again. It sounds and reads complicated but it’s a formula that’s been around for years that can now be utilised better with the latest technology. Combining this with the electric motor and you can travel up to 56 kilometres on pure electricity or enjoy up to 202mpg on the open road combined. Again these are ultimate numbers claimed by Ford and until we take the vehicle for a weeklong test drive it will be hard to verify. The power-split technology combines the 2.5-litre Duratec petrol engine, electric motor and generator, and 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery to produce 225PS. All this is routed through a power splitter, which also serves as a CVT automatic transmission allowing the vehicle to seamless, use both power sources. The new Kuga will be supplied with both a home charge cord and a public charge cord as standard. Expect it to take around 6 hours to charge for a regular home three pin or opt for the Ford-approved wallbox for home use, which can charge the PHEV in 3.5 hours. Safety As expected and like the Focus you get standard Ford Co-Pilot360 technologies to enhance protection, driving and parking which also helped to deliver the achieved 5-star NCAP rating. These include front and rear parking sensors, Collision mitigation, Lane keeping aid, Pre-Collison Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection and Post-collision braking. Ford Kuga Prices Prices are expected to kick off on the Titanium 1.5 litre EcoBlue diesel starting at €33,357 and for the PHEV version €35,432. This price difference of just €2,075 is designed to make people really think hard about the possibility of owning the PHEV version. Early signs are that a significant number of Kuga buyers will take the opportunity to go the plug in hybrid for the first time. For the sporty ST Line series we had on test you can expect the diesel version to kick off at €35,985 and the PHEV version to be priced from €37,425. Summary Our time was short and sweet with the new Kuga but it was a very impressive machine. Essentially during the pandemic we were treated to an hour long heavily sanitised test drive that mainly incorporated the city roads out to Poolbeg and back onto the Stillorgan dual carriageway for our return journey. This meant we were predominately enjoying the electric motor but when you lean hard on the accelerator the 2.5-litre Duratec petrol engine barks into life to allow you feel some of that combined 225PS. The power splitter, which also serves as a CVT automatic transmission allowing the vehicle to seamless use both power is fast and not at all noisy like some CVT transmissions. The steering was nice and sharp and there wasn’t a hint of body roll through the bends. It feels planted and surefooted and we can’t wait to spend a little longer with it! Ford Kuga Pros Stunning looking PHEV technology Space Ford Kuga Cons Some extras are pricey! Check out the Ford Kuga on DoneDeal here. #Motors About DoneDeal DoneDeal is for deals to feel great about from Ireland’s local trusted Car Dealers. Employing over 50 people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell premium cars online. DoneDeal has onboarded Ireland's trusted car dealers to become the number one touchpoint for Irish consumers when buying premium cars. To put this in perspective, when scaled for Ireland, DoneDeal is comparable to AutoTrader in the UK. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing a car. The result has been the development of products and services that empower the Irish consumer, e.g., free basic history check on verified cars, in-depth history checks, warranty, and finance options. Buy Premium cars confidently with DoneDeal.

By Justin Delaney I recall my first drive in the BMW M235i back in 2015. It was a traditional BMW in the sense that it had a big straight six-cylinder engine and rear wheel drive. Although not a full M car from the motorsport division the 235i did produce 322hp and could certainly move. Now some five years later BMW have taken the new 1 Series hatchback and morphed it into a good-looking Gran Coupe and again borrowed some expertise from the motorsport division. For a start the engine size has dropped in favour a punchy turbocharged 2.0 litre four-cylinder unit and it has been mated to an all-wheel-drive xDrive system. Prices kick off at €52,030 before you start ticking option boxes and our test vehicle also had the, M Sport brakes, 19-inch M V-Spoke alloy wheels, M Sport seats/steering wheel, Harman/Kardon premium sound system, adaptive LED headlights, two-zone climate control air-conditioning, power-adjusted front seats and a subtle rear spoiler. This pushed our test car north of €60k and firmly inline with its competitive friends in the form of the Audi S3 and Mercedes-Benz A35 AMG when you give them a little spec! The 2 Series Gran Coupe is a nicely proportioned car that borrows some design elements from 4 and 6 Series Gran Coupe including the frameless side windows. It doesn’t portrait that hardcore coupe line looking somewhat more saloon but its nicely styled and the new bold kidney grille actually looks really good on this car. Our test cars storm grey metallic paint looked great against the contrasting shadowline diffusers and fog-light surrounds and give it a modern and mean stance. Inside it’s a beautiful cabin with ample space especially up front. Although this M235i is technically bigger that the old E46 3 Series BMW inside, headroom is still a little compromised for rear passengers if you are anyway close to the six foot mark. Features Luggage space is pretty generous at 430-litres but like many cars in this sector, long objects can be a struggle thanks to the narrow aperture. The M Sport seats are a work of art and incredibly comfortable to spend time in with excellent side bolstering. On the tech side you get a modern 10.25-inch central display with an equal-sized screen used for the digital instrument cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that no longer require the paid subscription are also included. For Waze navigation users like me, you now have the ability to project directions on the head-up display when using any navigation app. Like most new BMW’s you can also make use of the Intelligent Personal Assistant that allows you to perform various tasks via voice activation starting with the “Hey BMW” command. Power So what is it like to drive compared to that M235i of old? Well for this test we decided to put the 2.0-litre turbo, which is actually BMW’s most powerful production four-cylinder engine to the test in Mondello Park. First off lets look at the figures. Producing 301hp and 450Nm of torque through all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission results in a 0-100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds. This is exactly the same as the turbocharged 3.0 litre 6-cylinder of old. It doesn’t feel earth-shatteringly quick, but throttle response is sharp and gear changes seamless and there’s a meaty exhaust note that lets out the pop of un-burnt fuel when changing gear. The all wheel drive system favours the front wheels and sends power to rear axle when needed but crikey, it doesn’t half grip! Even pushing hard through the twisties at Mondello there is huge traction. The M Performance suspension is incredibly compliant even on the big 19-inch alloys and it absorbs the rumble of an apex surface with ease. BMW M235i 2020 Prices Priced at €52,030, the M235i xDrive is considerably more expensive than the three-cylinder, entry 218i at €34,010 or indeed the diesel 220d at €44,180. Standard kit in all cars includes a head-up display, wireless phone charging, all the Connected Drive tech and a reversing assistant that will self-reverse about 50 metres in the same direction you just drove forward great for getting in and out tricky situations. The M235i’s 2.0-litre turbo consumes 7.6L/100km combined, compared the 218i’s frugal 1.5-litre three-cylinder’ 5.9L/100km consumption and the 220d does 4.9L/100km combined. Like all of the current BMW range, it is covered by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Safety As expected, standard equipment includes collision and pedestrian warning with city braking function. Lane Departure Warning with active lane return is also included, as is Cruise Control with braking function. The optional Driving Assistant additionally comprises the Lane Change Warning system, which prompts the driver to guide the car back into the correct lane at speeds from 20-250km/h by means of a visual warning and, if necessary, a steering input. The Driving Assistant’s other functions include the route-ahead assistant, rear collision warning and crossing traffic warning, which reduces the risk of a collision when reversing into roads obstructed from the driver’s view, and Active Cruise Control system with Stop & Go function. Altogether it’s a strong safety package from BMW. Summary To summarise I’d say this is a strong offering from BMW in a sector they needed a new car to compete. The M235i offers a great overall package and drives very well. The ride comfort and suspension setting were just perfect in all driving modes, especially in COMFORT and ECO PRO for everyday use. In SPORT, the car becomes sharp and precise as we discovered in Mondello park making this the perfect week day commuter with a cheeky side, for weekends. It drives better than its predecessor of old but the big question is would you pay €60k for one or buy the 220d and a trackday toy? That’s a choice for you to make. You can check out DoneDeal's range of BMW's from Ireland's trusted dealer's here. #Motors About DoneDeal DoneDeal is for premium car deals to feel great about from Ireland’s local trusted Car Dealers. Employing over 50 people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell premium cars online. DoneDeal has onboarded Ireland's trusted car dealers to become the number one touchpoint for Irish consumers when buying premium cars. To put this in perspective, when scaled for Ireland, DoneDeal is comparable to AutoTrader in the UK. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing a car. The result has been the development of products and services that empower the Irish consumer, e.g., free basic history check on verified cars, in-depth history checks, warranty, and finance options. Buy Premium cars confidently with DoneDeal.

DoneDeal works closely with several animal welfare groups including the ISPCA and Department of Agriculture in order to comply with legislation and meet the standards set out by bodies such as IPAAG (The Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group), of which we are a member. DoneDeal take our responsibilities as an advertising platform very seriously and will continue to introduce measures to further improve animal welfare and advertising transparency in Ireland. As we work on further solutions to improve animal welfare and in light of unprecedented demand in Ireland we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend the dogs section from 7th August 2020. Unfortunately we believe removing the section may push activity offline and lead to reduced transparency when it comes to advertising dogs. Every month, over 200,000 advertisements are placed on DoneDeal across various advertising categories. Given the volume of advertisements on DoneDeal it is not possible for our customer service team to manually review every ad placed and we must therefore rely on technical measures to block improper content. In addition to these preventative technical measures, DoneDeal operate a “notice and takedown” policy which allows any user on DoneDeal to report any ad that is believed to be in breach of our terms and conditions. The ad will be reviewed and if it is in breach will be taken down immediately. Already in 2020 we have introduced several measures in the dogs section to further improve transparency around the advertisement of dogs. Introducing 2 factor phone verification for advertisers in the dogs section Capturing the microchip number of dogs at the point of advertisement and the publishing of microchip numbers Capturing seller registration numbers at the point of advertisement (if applicable) Capturing country of origin on the dog advertisement Introducing educational content on the dogs section around legislation around microchipping The most recent technical change around microchip validation against available microchip databases was launched Monday 27th July. We are working hard to find the right next technical solutions to improve animal welfare in Ireland though there are limits to what is possible for us alone as a publisher which is understood in the legislation: “A person shall not make a statement which the person knows to be false with a view to securing a publication or display of an advertisement of a pet animal for sale or supply, that results in the publication or display being made.” Our intention is to prevent the possibility of advertisers making false statements but in some cases we rely on users of DoneDeal to report these advertisements to us. Our team of 13 customer service representatives are on call 7 days a week to handle queries or complaints from people visiting DoneDeal. At DoneDeal we will continue to work hard with animal welfare bodies to find the best possible solutions to maximise transparency and protect animal welfare when it comes to the advertisement of animals.

Distilled SCH – which is made up of DoneDeal, Daft.ie and Adverts.ie has placed eighth in the annual Great Place To Work Survey for Ireland’s best medium-sized companies category. GPTW (Great Place To Work) is based on anonymous voluntary feedback from employees based in participating organisations and segments results based on company size (Large, Medium, Small). Strategy & Direction Line Management Career & Development Empowerment & Accountability Recognition Work Environment & Processes Performance Management Diversity Teamwork As a fast-growing and dynamic company, Distilled SCH CEO and founder of Daft.ie Eamonn Fallon said he was very proud of the companies position “As our company continues to grow, we are very proud that we continue to evolve and improve our workplace and I’m delighted to see us recognised for all the hard work put in by all our staff. We are committed to making DistilledSCH a great place to work for all our staff.” The business, which has a combined workforce of 153 employees across three offices (Dublin, Wexford and Waterford) has been operating as a joint venture between Irish owned Distilled Media and Oslo based international media giant Schibsted Media Group since July 2015. DistilledSCH excelled in Culture when compared to other workplaces of a similar size. Creative designer, Sayo Bittencourt who has been with the company since May 2019 said: “Since my first day I felt welcomed in DistilledSCH. As a young female ex-pat, it was wonderful to find a company in Ireland that makes such a conscious effort to promote diversity, respect and value creative work, celebrate achievements and foster an environment of caring about one another.” Eamonn Fallon said: “DistilledSCH brings together three iconic Irish brands. DoneDeal – the number one destination to buy and sell cars in Ireland, Daft.ie – Ireland’s leading real estate website and app and Adverts.ie – a mobile-first platform for buying and selling goods and services”

By Justin Delaney 2020 has marked the introduction of the 6th generation Opel Corsa and we at DoneDeal are delighted to have participated in the initial test drive. Opel as a brand, have undergone some serious changes including the recent acquisition by the PSA Group. This means there is a lot of attention on the new Corsa as the company produce their first car, since the buyout. Naturally components are now shared with sister cars like the Peugeot 208 but does Opel manage to retain any of its German appeal? First launched in 1982, the Corsa is Opel’s best-selling model, with over 13 million units sold in Europe to date. In 2007 and 2015, Corsa generations four and five still took awards in prestigious events worldwide. This MK6 variant not only looks good but it is well appointed both inside and out. Let’s have a look and see how it performs over the following categories. Opel Corsa Car 2020 Pros Good looks Decent interior space Smooth ride Competitive Entry Prices Opel Corsa Car 2020 Cons Slightly scratchy plastics used inside Features With modern, dynamic lines and a slightly lower body stance, the all-new Corsa offers increased interior space and comfort, all the while retaining its renowned German precision for detail. Whilst the overall exterior height has been reduced to deliver better aerodynamics and lower CO2 / consumption, an increase in front headroom, a longer wheelbase and increased overall exterior length return optimum cabin space and comfort for passengers. The boot volume is increased (+24 litres) to 309 litres, or up to 1,081 litres with seats folded. A weight reduction of 108kg, matched to an improvement in torsional stiffness and lower centre of gravity, delivers greater agility, performance and handling over the previous generation Corsa model. Power Buyers have a choice of 2 petrol engines (1.2 75bhp or 1.2 100bhp), matched to a manual gearbox or an 8-speed automatic, and a 1.5 102bhp diesel engine manual, from launch, the improved Corsa delivers a reduction in CO2 of up to 25%. Soon there will be a Corsa-e 134bhp which will return an electric range of up to 337km. Safety Available in three trims – SC, SRi and Elite – safety technology features available as standard, or as an option, dependent on trim include Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian detection, radar-based Adaptive Speed Control, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition. The new Opel Corsa also brings to the segment for the very first time, adaptive glare-free IntelliLux LED matrix lighting. The new Corsa scored 4 out of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP test. Opel Corsa Car 2020 Prices The new Opel Corsa retails from €17,975 plus delivery and related charges for the entry SR. The SRi starts at €23,000 and the Elite kicks off at €24,300. Prices are not confirmed for the Corsa E yet, but we anticipate it will land priced between €35k – €40k. The entry SR trim is competitively priced but the B segment has many options. Summary Our test drive took us on a mixture of motorway and backroads to get a feel for the Corsa. Our first test car was the 1.5 Diesel Elite and we were pleasantly surprised with how nice it was to drive. The six speed manual gearbox felt perfectly suited to the 102hp Diesel and the ride on back roads was particularly good. For us here at DoneDeal this is the smart man’s buy if you are doing mileage with a small family. We predict it will be popular with rental car companies along with driving schools and the like. Our second test car was the 1.2 Petrol Elite which will no doubt be the volume seller. Again in SRi trim it is well appointed and if anything, even nicer inside than the Elite. Naturally it’s a more rev happy engine and you find yourself working the manual gearbox a little more but it’s still, a very pleasant drive. The 1.2 75hp variant we have yet to drive. For urban commuters it will no doubt make sense but be warned, with four people on board and a motorway spin planned you will feel the constraints of that small engine! Overall Opel have a real offering once again with the Corsa. The new technology and better drive over the outgoing model will for sure make this a contender not to be overlooked. Hopefully we will get to drive the electric version in the not too distant future. About DoneDeal DoneDeal is for premium car deals to feel great about from Ireland’s local trusted Car Dealers. Employing people in Ireland across Dublin and Wexford, DoneDeal has quietly emerged as Ireland’s number one destination to buy and sell premium cars online. DoneDeal has onboarded Ireland's trusted car dealers to become the number one touchpoint for Irish consumers when buying premium cars. To put this in perspective, when scaled for Ireland, DoneDeal is comparable to AutoTrader in the UK. DoneDeal's central mission is to empower Irish consumers by removing all uncertainty when it comes to purchasing a car. The result has been the development of products and services that empower the Irish consumer, e.g., free basic history check on verified cars, in-depth history checks, warranty, and finance options. Buy Premium cars confidently with DoneDeal. #Motors

Just under 15,000 new Electric & Hybrid cars were sold across Ireland in 2019. This represents a 68% year-on-year increase, or 6,085 extra car sales when compared to 2018. In total,14,984 new Electric & Hybrid cars rolled off the nation’s forecourts over the last twelve months. Electric and Hybrid car sales are now the exclusive growth area in new car sales nationwide. Overall, the new car sales market is down nearly 7% (6.82%) when compared with 2018. View the full report here. The analysis was released by Ireland’s largest motor website DoneDeal, as part of DoneDeal’s 2019 Motor Industry Review, which was published today. In the used car market, just under 544,495 vehicles traded hands, a 4% decrease on 2018. Volkswagen was the most popular new and used car make of 2019. 13,508 new VW’s were sold over the last twelve months, while 71,178 used vehicles from the German manufacturer traded hands. Meanwhile, both the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona were tied on 1,086 sales each, making them the joint best-selling new Electric Cars nationwide. In the Hybrid market, the Toyota Corolla was the nation’s favourite with 3,857 new Corolla’s sold. As part of the report, DoneDeal surveyed over 1,000 people looking to purchase a car. 26% of those surveyed indicated they would opt for a Hybrid of Electric vehicle as their next purchase. Diesel remains the most popular choice with future buyers, with 52% preferring Diesel above any other option. 22% were in favour of Petrol. Martin Clancy from DoneDeal said: “Every month – one thousand two hundred and fifty new Electric & Hybrid cars are now rolling off the nation’s forecourts. In Dublin alone, over 6,000 were sold in 2019. It’s a similar pattern across the major cities. In Cork 1,835 new Electric & Hybrid units were sold. Galway witnessed a 55% year-on-year surge with sales of 660 new Hybrid and Electric vehicles. Meanwhile, Limerick (454) and Waterford (270) all witnessed substantial year-on-year increases.” #Motors

To make our marketplace as trusted as possible, we’re working with our car dealers and private sellers to add a Greenlight verification to all vehicles for sale on DoneDeal. The Greenlight verification is an initiative driven by DoneDeal in our continued effort to build a marketplace where buyers can have complete peace of mind during their vehicle buying journey. What does it mean for a seller? Private sellers can now take an extra step when selling their vehicle on DoneDeal to verify ownership by supplying their logbook number. Using data directly from our records we match the registration and logbook with information in this database. Basic History Check with Greenlight verification We check if the vehicle was ever logged as a Category A or B* write off in Ireland if it is we don’t list the ad on DoneDeal.ie We check if the vehicle was originally imported, if we find that it was, we display this on the ad. If the vehicle was imported we encourage our users to do a full history check to include the UK since we can’t check the write off status outside Ireland. Greenlight Verification is free We don’t charge either the buyer or seller for this history check since we know this is a really important factor to consider when searching for your perfect vehicle. We do however, always encourage our users to do a full history check when considering their next used vehicle purchase. *About Category A or B write offs Category A The vehicle must be scrapped and no parts or components can be sold other than for scrap. Amounts vary but the scrap value rarely covers the cost of recovery and delivery to a scrap yard. Category A is severely damaged, total burnout or flood damage with no serviceable parts, or already a stripped out shell. In the UK the DVLA will require a “Notification of Destruction”. In Ireland this vehicle would have to be disposed of in an authorised treatment facility and have a death certificate issued and the vehicle then becomes End of Life (ELV). Category B The vehicle must not be used again but non- structural and roadworthy parts and components may be recovered for use in other vehicles. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not critical components with important safety functions. A Category B will have been damaged beyond economical repair, usually with major structural damage. In the UK the DVLA will require “Notification of Destruction” but parts can be removed and sold on. In Ireland this vehicle would have to be disposed of in an authorised treatment facility and have a death certificate issued and the vehicle then becomes End of Life (ELV).