Cavan footballer Geroid McKiernan is home on his family farm after a goliath win over Donegal in the Ulster senior football championship final on Sunday last.

For the first time in 23 years, Cavan won the Ulster final having beaten three-in-row chasing Donegal at Armagh’s Athletic Grounds.

Working full time with Quinn Cement in Mannock, Co Fermanagh, Gearoid also helps out on the family farm.

Geroid McKiernan with his father Gerry. \ Philip Doyle

The Irish Farmers Journal spoke with Gearoid’s father Gerry, who runs a dairy herd and free-range hen enterprise alongside his son Breifne and wife Jacintha.

“We milk 120 British Friesian X Holstein cows and have 10,000 free-range hens. The milking block consists of 140ac with another 25ac allocated to the hens.”

Changing system

McKiernan is swapping out his 10-unit herringbone parlour for two new Lely robots set for delivery in September 2021.

“It was a good year for milk in terms of volume and prices have held up well. We’re making big changes on the farm next year, switching our system to indoor.

“We decided to go for the robots to lower costs and improve time management. We bought a zero grazer last year which has worked well for us so we’ll be using it all the time in the new system.

Geroid McKiernan with his father Gerry, brother Breifne, and mother Jancintha. \ Philip Doyle

Farming continues

Despite Cavan losing out in recent finals, McKiernan insists that last Sunday made up for the bad days gone by.

“We’re a family that’s big into the GAA and we all would have played football at one point or another. Breifne was named after the county when we last won Ulster in 1997.

“Even with all the celebrations we are milking away, the eggs still have to be lifted. We’re turning our sights to Dublin now and we’ll be sure to roughen then up.”