Luke Walsh, sheep and beef, Co Kildare
“I’ll get my qualifications, hopefully the [Level 8] degree. I might go travelling after that, but at the end of it all, I’d imagine that I’ll get an office job in agriculture and I’ll farm part-time with my uncle on the side. I’d like to get involved with the IFA and see how they work. Teagasc or a Department job would be ideal as well. I’d like to think the future is bright; people have to eat; food has to be produced.”
Emily Needham, beef, Co Tipperary
“I prefer the practical side, but I don’t mind being in a classroom, it just makes the days a bit long. The days are split: half inside, half outside.
“I’d love to take over the farm [at home], I’ve two brothers, but I don’t think they’ve any interest.
“I definitely want to go to New Zealand for a while as well, but I’m a homebird so I’ll eventually come back.”
Hugh Carey, dairy, Co Westmeath
“I haven’t really looked at supports for young farmers, but I may now.
“With the way farm taxes and the inheritance tax is going at the minute, you never know what the future will hold.
“I probably might go abroad for a few years. Do a bit of farm and machinery work, see how that goes and I might come back; might not.”
Brian O’Connor, dairy, Co Tipperary
“I think there should be more practical elements [in the course] because there is a lot of theory.
“The practical side is better; it helps you learn and it’s more hands-on.
“When I’m done, I hope to go on and go to New Zealand or Australia, maybe for a year. Then I’d love to take over the uncle’s farm or work with a farmer to manage the farm eventually.”
Emily Lynch, dairy and beef, Co Clare
“We learn a good spectrum of topics like machinery maintenance, etc. There is a wide range of what we learn.
“I’d like to go abroad for a year working and then come back home and work as an agriculture adviser or something like that.”
Kate Kehoe, sucklers, Co Wexford
“I’m thinking about something like Embrace Farm; I’d like to work on the mental health side of agriculture or maybe with Teagasc.
“It’s very old fashioned for a boy in the family to take over the farm. Personally, I don’t have an interest.”
This article was updated on 7 February 2025.
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