"I love working outdoors, I am very lucky that I work in the outdoors. Similar to farming, it is a great way of life.

"The great summer we had last year, there was no better job. I have been very lucky to get the opportunities I have gotten in the organisation.”

Michael Kelly is a part-time beef farmer from north Roscommon. He began with Inland Fisheries Ireland as a general operative in August 2017 having been told about the position from a neighbour.

Within little over a year, the 35-year old had climbed to the position of assistant inspector for the organisation.

While his story of career progression is impressive, it is his focus on the outdoor lifestyle and his ability to farm on the side that will no doubt appeal to those wishing to do the same.

Michael Kelly, assistant inspector, Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Working in his role from 8.30am to 5pm means Kelly can also run his farm in north Roscommon. His working day is spent along the rivers and lakes of Cavan, Longford, Monaghan and Leitrim.

“There is a good balance between the farm and the job. The hours I work mean you can plan the evenings and the weekend, especially during the summer,” Kelly explains.

But how did he end up working for the Inland Fisheries Ireland?

“Back in July 2017, I was told by a family friend that the fisheries were recruiting in the Roscommon area. I thought, with my carpentry and construction background that the job would suit me.”

The job in question was a general operative role based in Cavan and within a month, Kelly had the job after a successful application and interview process.

The aforementioned background that he had in carpentry and construction began when he left Roscommon CBS.

Working for a carpenter for eight years (during which time he completed his green cert in Teagasc in Roscommon), Kelly was self-employed for a number of years after.

The job

The first of his three roles with the fisheries was that of a general operative along the rivers and lakes of his assigned counties. The job involved replacing and removing infrastructure along the waterways. It was hands-on and in the open air.

Career progression was swift for Kelly.

“I was a general operative for six months. In March a new job came up for a fishery officer role. It was a six-month post during the summer and involved patrolling the rivers and lakes for illegal fishing and pollution among other things.

"The job was essentially to ensure all anglers were compliant with regulation. I applied for the position and I was lucky to get the job with a great assistant inspector and team in Lough Sheelin in Cavan.”

Continuing to climb the career ladder rapidly, Kelly applied for the role of assistant inspector in September 2018 following a retirement from that position.

Another application process, another interview and another success saw him begin this new job in November. After 14 months in the organisation, Kelly was then assigned to one of the highest roles in his area.

The 9-5

“The workday in this role is slightly different. You go into the office in the morning to check emails and meet with staff before you hit the road.

"We work around four counties so there is a bit of travel as well. Most of the days are spent along the waterways removing our old infrastructure and replacing it, meeting land owners anglers etc. There is much more planning involved with this role.”

Challenges

“There is no doubt the job can be tough. There are challenging deadlines to meet but stress levels wouldn’t bother me too much. There is no point in getting stressed. You learn a lot from farming in that regard. You could watch cattle and sheep 24 hours a day and things could go wrong. There is no point in getting excited about it. You have to keep stress separate. When you have a good staff working with you, you won’t get stressed,” he explains.

Continued recruitment

Inland Fisheries Ireland’s largest recruitment drive is just over and a new wave of opportunities is expected again towards the back end of the year for their six bases in Ireland which include:

  • Eastern River Basin District: Kilcoole, Co Wicklow; Dundalk, Co Louth; Drogheda, Co Louth; CityWest, Co Dublin.
  • South Eastern River Basin District Carrick on Suir, Co Tipperary; Enniscorthy, Co Wexford; New Ross, Co Wexford.
  • South Western River Basin District Farnanes, Co Cork; Kenmare, Co Kerry; Killorglin, Co Kerry; Bantry, Co Cork.
  • Shannon River Basin District: Listowel, Co Kerry; Limerick, Co Limerick; Birr, Co Offaly; Sheelin, Co Westmeath.
  • Western River Basin District, Galway City and Ballinakill, Co Galway, Ballina, and Bangor Erris, Co Mayo; Sligo.
  • North Western River Basin District– Cavan Town and Letterkenny, Glenties, Ballyshannon, Gweedore, Co Donegal.
  • work for Inland Fisheries

    For those looking for an outdoor job with a good work-life balance, the fisheries may be a good option to explore. Inland Fisheries Ireland advise that those interested in applying, require a minimum of a leaving cert qualification.

    If you are interested in researching a role in Inland Fisheries Ireland, visit fisheriesireland.ie/careers for vacancies.