I’m 13 years old and I’m in first year in Eureka, Kells, Co Meath. I live with my Mammy, Daddy and my older sisters Mary and Anna on an organic mixed farm in Fordstown, Co Meath.

Up to the start of the pandemic I was never really into farming. If sheep ever got out I would watch as my other family members struggled running up and down the field while I was inside.

I wanted to help but I was always too scared. All I would think about were all the things that could go wrong. What if a ram butts me? What if the bull decides to chase me? What if I get shocked by the electric wire? All these voices were in my head so I stayed inside by myself.

Until one day.

During the first lockdown I was finding it really hard with school work and everything and I just wanted things to go back go back to normal. So I decided to go out to the yard. I don’t know the exact reason why, my feet just led me to it, because I knew if I overthought it I would hesitate and never go.

Lucy Curran feeding her pet lamb Borris a rich tea biscuit.

There I saw three pet lambs in the paddock – Borris, Norris and Dorris. They ran up to the gate and started bleating, so I went over to them and decided to pet them. Bear in mind that I was aware of them being pets, but I never went out to them.

My dad had told me they have to be fed two scoops of meal in the morning and evening, so I fed them. When I came in and told my dad he was very surprised. He would never have expected me to do that if he asked, let alone by myself.

So every day I kept doing it and I began to find a love for the lambs. They were so cute and fluffy. You could tell them anything, they wouldn’t talk but they would just listen. I found they were a great way of relieving stress especially during all things happening at that time.

I mightn’t have done my school work over and above what was needed, but I was learning about farming and that’s something that you can’t learn at school. I continued going out to them and every day they got bigger and bigger, until they were fully grown sheep.

Then it was time for the news I wasn’t looking forward to, killing them for meat. It was something my dad had said ages ago, but I tried not to focus on it while I still had them. My dad said I could have the money off both of them, but money couldn’t bring them back to life.

Borris was a ewe so she was being kept in a different field with other ewes while we weighed Norris, Dorris and a load of other rams. Norris and Dorris were fit to go.

My dad said not to worry because Norris and Dorris wouldn’t be going till next Tuesday, so I had all that time with them before they went.

The week flew by and before I knew it Tuesday whizzed round. We tagged Norris and Dorris. I gave them one handful of meal before they went. I thought of all the fun times I had spent with them and Borris – walking them on a lead and bringing them inside the house on a family Zoom call. I had memories of them and no one could take them away.

One year later, I still have Borris, who had her first lambs in April, one boy and one girl, which is quite uncommon for a hogget to have, but all doing great.

Borris also now has a love for biscuits, which I give her every so often.

I plan to keep her ewe lamb for a ewe, who’ll hopefully lamb next year then. Her ram lamb went to the factory a few weeks ago.

This time of year we would also have the turkeys to look after too. We have organic turkeys, they’re outside during the day. So we have to feed them and bring them inside in the evening time.

I still much rather sheep though.

Only for COVID I probably would still be doing what I was doing one year ago and wouldn’t have found a love of farming, for that I am thankful.

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