My name is Alan Fitzpatrick and I’m 11 years old. I’m from Sixmilebridge, Co Clare. Where we live is out in the countryside.

I am in fifth class in St Finnachtas National School in Sixmilebridge.

I’ve one sister called Hannah and one brother called Conor. I’m the youngest in the family. Hannah is 15 and Conor is 14. My dad’s name is Kevin and my mam’s name is Nickola.

Farming

My family are part-time suckler farmers. My uncle and grandad are full-time dairy and beef farmers.

I love helping out on the farm, so does Conor.

I go up and help out on the farm whenever I get the chance. I go up most Wednesdays, that would definitely be my farming day.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve liked farming and I want to be a farmer when I grow up.

I prefer dairy farming to beef farming, but I enjoy it all really.

My favourite job on the farm has to be feeding the calves and definitely milking the cows as well.

At school, from first class up to fourth class, you always go on a school tour to a farm. I remember one day you got to milk a cow and I was the most experienced person there! When you’re milking, don’t squeeze the udder too hard and you’ll be grand.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve liked farming and I want to be a farmer when I grow up

I pretty much like all the jobs on the farm and everything about farming. If I had to pick a job I don’t like so much, it would be cleaning up after the cows.

There’s one tractor on the farm. It’s a Massey Ferguson, which would be my favourite type of tractor.

Silage has to be one of the most exciting times of year on the farm, because my uncles Ollie, Seán, Mike, Paul and Patrick, as well as my dad and my grandad, all come up to do it.

I just call my grandad Pa, but his real name is Patrick. My grandad wears a flat cap – he has a lot of them.

This year, I went to the Ploughing and I didn’t want an Aldi, TikTok or baseball cap. I wanted an Irish Farmers Journal flat cap, so I could just be like my grandad.

Pets and hobbies

My nana has five cats and I help her look after them.

I have two pets myself at home. I have a dog called Rocket and a cat called Toby. Rocket is six and Toby is two.

My hobbies are hurling, rugby and I do a bit of drama here and there as well. Hurling has finished up for the winter now, but rugby is still going. At drama, we act, sing and dance. My favourite part has to be the acting though.

Read more

My Country Living: sheep, silage and picking stones

IFJ Junior: ‘Every weekend and any day I’m off school, I’d be over on the farm’