I farm: “500ac of light and free draining land. There are plenty of stones in it. We own 300ac and we lease another 200ac. I farm with my parents Bertie and Betty.”

Calving: “We have 330 Holstein Friesian and Jersey cross cows. We have a spring-calving system. The cows usually dry off for six weeks from around 20 December. Calving started around 1 February. We use AI, but we clean up with a Hereford stock bull.”

Family: “I’m married to Niamh. She’s a pharmacist and works in Tramore. Our children are Seán (nine), Aphra (eight) and Conor (six). Dad is a great help on the farm, he does more around here than anyone.”

Parlour: “Dad always had dairy and beef on his farm. When I took over, he was milking about 55 cows. We have a 30-unit herringbone DeLaval parlour, so it takes about two hours to milk. We have been once-a-day milking, but we will go back to twice-a-day next week.”

This week: “I’m focused on looking after the calves at the moment. I generally let the cows out to the paddock after calving and try to get them out as early as possible – between the rain showers. We’re halfway through calving now.”

Social: “I really enjoy farming and getting outdoors. It’s great to be my own boss and I like working with animals. I’m lucky that I’m not alone on the farm, as dad is always there and I have Stephen Dolan [staff] with me, so I’m not isolated. It’s busy at the moment, but generally we have every second weekend off.”

Hobbies: “I generally like all sports. We try to get away as a family and go travelling whenever we can, although it’s not easy. Most of my down-time revolves around the kids, but I also enjoy reading.”

Quotable quote: “Farming is hard work and can be tough going, but it’s enjoyable all the same.”

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