Ask any farmer anywhere in the country what he considers the most hateful task in farming and he or she will tell you it is "doing the books". But for one midlands farmer and his family, "doing the books" became a lifeline.
Books, or specifically, the sale of rare books has now become the main source of income from their farm home.
PJ. Tynan, who farms at Courtwood, near Ballybrittas, discovered some years ago that the gap between his mortgage and farm income was growing and he decided to look for an alternative enterprise.
An avid reader and lover of literature, he had been collecting books for years and decided to use the hobby as a source of income to improve his profit.
He began in a small way, continuing to run dry stock and to grow some tillage crops on his 40acre farm. Now the books business, which he called Courtwood Books, delivers more to him than his farming enterprise.
He sought second-hand books through auctions, auction rooms, antique dealers and from other sources to help build up a bank of saleable works.
He concentrates on rare books, having discovered there is a growing demand for them, especially rare, local histories or novels.
P.J. has an interest in Irish local history and knew that most local histories published before 1950 were produced privately and in small quantities. This created a scarcity and helped push up their value.
P.J. approached Laois County Enterprise Board which was set up in October 1993. The board promotes an enterprise culture and provides business advice, financial assistance and management development. As a result of its assistance he is now able to publish a catalogue of books which are for sale on his computer. This list is circulated to over 300 buyers here and abroad.
He has now started building a book room to hold his stock of rare books, especially the works of James Joyce in which he has a particular interest.