The farm: “My father Vincent runs our 180ac farm. Around 100 acres is under tillage and the rest is used to rear beef. I’m a primary school teacher and gifted with good holidays, so I give Daddy a hand whenever I can.”

Switch: “We used to have sucklers but it was becoming more hardship than it was worth, so we have recently switched over to a calf-to-beef system instead.”

Stock: “We buy in 30 calves in the autumn. They are Limousin-Angus crosses and are sold off as stores at 18 months. We also buy in 30 Montbeliarde calves in spring that we rear until they are killed at 24 months.”

Docility: “They are like lambs. We have a golden retriever, Oscar, that comes to the yard with us. The calves will all wait at the gate for him to visit; it is brilliant to watch.”

Tillage: “We have winter and spring barley, as well as spring oats. Some of it is used on farm for feed and the rest is sold for the same use.

This week: “We have been doing the tail end of silage in the last week to get it finished up. I assumed my usual position operating the static wrapper in the yard for the last few days.”

Tralee: “I’ll be representing Wexford this year in the Rose of Tralee festival. I’ve been kept busy for the last few weeks preparing and I’ll be setting off for Tralee this week to enjoy the experience.”

Family: “My mother Maime and sister Alison help with the stock. My brother James is a big help around machinery. Our brother Thomas is working in America at the moment, but as soon as he gets home, he is straight out on the tractor to find something to do.”

Quotable quote: “The switch has been great for the family. It has taken a big workload off Daddy. He isn’t tied to checking cows calving in the winter months and when he is busy with my brothers doing tillage, the rest of us can look after things in the yard.”

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Full series: My Farming Week