Ireland has its own killing fields. The pleasant rural landscape is one of the most dangerous places to be in this State, especially during the harvest.
Already this year, there have been 17 deaths on Irish farms, two more than in the whole of last year and five more than in 1996. One has to look back to 1995 to find a higher figure. In that year, 28 people died.
Five of the deaths so far this year have been children, something which causes great concern to the farming community and the Health and Safety Authority. They include Kay O'Brien (12) and her sister, Louise (11), who died in Gorey, Co Wexford, when the tractor on which they were sitting toppled over.
The 135,000 farm holdings in the State are full of activity. This is especially so at this time of the year when farmers, with an eye to the broken weather, use every dry minute to harvest silage or hay.
And, as the experts in the Health and Safety Authority say, lots of activity brings high risk in the workplace, with its heavy machinery and hectic activity.
The operation of machinery accounts for two-thirds of farm deaths and accidents, mainly involving harvesters and tractors. The most common cause of death and injury involves farmers attempting to unblock machines without having switched off the power.
Health and Safety Authority inspector Mr Tom O'Sullivan said he was constantly amazed that farmers continued to believe they would stay safe while unblocking machines.
"It's not ignorance because there has been so much information fed to the farming community about the dangers of unblocking machines while they are still powered," he said.
Tractors feature highly in accidents. Within the last week, a tractor overturned on uneven ground and crushed an elderly Co Cork farmer to death as he was harvesting silage.
The other main causes of death on farms involve repair to buildings, electricity, livestock, death from slurry gas and tree felling.
On average, two farmers die each year when they fall from buildings or through fragile roofs while carrying out repairs.
Every year, livestock, mainly bulls, kills at least two people. These are normally elderly men who are either not agile enough to avoid attack or have become complacent.
"Normally it is elderly men who are given the job of keeping an eye on these animals while the younger farmer is out harvesting or, indeed, working outside the farm. We have noticed an increase in line with the expansion of the beef herd," said Mr O'Sullivan.
However, it is the deaths of children on farms which is the most emotive and difficult problem to tackle, as it is a problem unique to the industry.
Farming, unlike more regulated work environments, exposes children to the dangers involved. The children live where the work is carried out.
The concept of the family farm is still very strong in Ireland, with 92 per cent of the labour on farms supplied by families. During harvesting, children work with their parents.
The Farm Relief Services, the co-operative which supplies labour to Irish farms, has acknowledged the realities of children on farms operating machinery and it runs a tractor-training course for 13 to 16-year-olds.
This is done on the basis that they know young people will be operating machines and it is an attempt to train them rather than regulate the impossible.
It is estimated that some 700,000 people are exposed to dangerous farming operations on an all-year basis. This may account for the high number of children being killed an injured.
Another factor is that a farmer's wife often works outside the farm, leaving children in the care of the farmer who has a dual role; child-minding and farming. This is a dangerous mix.
The farm organisations with the Health and Safety Authority have been running a series of campaigns to educate farmers on the dangers of their work and their responsibilities. It would appear work has yet to be done.