I farm: “500 Lleyn cross ewes on mostly rented land. My lambing season is from the end of April to the first week in May. I sell the lambs in September and October - if they’re not fit to kill they’re sold as stores. I keep 100 to 120 ewe hoggets as replacements every year.”

This week: “I’m finishing lambing. Some of the ewes were lambed inside but the weather is good at the moment so they are out on grass. I keep a small reserve of silage but for the most part it is an all grass based system. It is low cost and works well for me.”

Shearing: “I was contacted by Golden Shears because they have a shortage of hoggets for the sheep shearing in Gorey. In Wexford they shear the sheep before they house them in winter and have a higher slaughter rate, whereas I don’t shear until after lambing. I usually get in contract shearers and sell the wool to Dooley Wools Ltd from Birr who come down to collect it.”

Championships: “The sheep shearing committee are sending someone up to collect my hoggets to bring them down to the show. I don’t have to do anything really to get them ready; the committee will sort everything out. I have 100 ewe hoggets lined up to go and I’ll probably head down myself for a day to see the shearing. They seem very well organised so I’m not too worried about my ewes getting mixed up with the rest, they’re all electronically tagged anyway.”

Family: “My wife, Theresa, and children are all brilliant at helping out on the farm. Our son, Oliver, is in college studying Wood Design and Manufacture. We also have three girls; Deirdre, Aine and Catherine.”

Quotable Quote: “It’s hard to know whether my son will take over the farm. It doesn’t seem like there is a great future in farming, certainly not one that you could derive a big income from like an ordinary job.”