Edel O’Connell is definitely a busy woman. Having grown up on a mixed farm, Edel loved helping out and working on the farmyard from a young age.

The home farm is made up of dairy and beef, with 120 pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and three purebred Jersey cows.

Her brother and father are both AI technicians. They also have a Limousin and Hereford bull. They have a beef section too and fatten calves from the beef bulls.

Edel is very hands-on at home: “I milk the cows, feed calves and do a lot of the tractor work, for example, drawing and unloading straw bales that we buy in for bedding and feed. I also help during the silage period.”

Edel attends a dairy discussion group and she is an active member of IT Tralee’s Macra society. This year, Edel was the runner-up in the under-23 section of Macra’s Irish Dairy Board Dairy Stockjudging competition, which took place in Leitrim on 9 June.

“I was so thrilled with the result. First, I was chosen from the Kerry Macra round, which was a great result in itself. One person is put forward from Kerry, whereas Cork is divided into five sections and Tipperary into north and south.

“It was quite a rigorous process. The national final involved an academic test, which was questions generally about farming, including dairy and other aspects. I then had to judge a pen of six heifers and a pen of six cows, and rate the animals in order of preference one to six. I was then interviewed and asked why I had provided such a ranking and then also about my general knowledge of farming.”

Edel was beaten in the final by her brother Dermot, who is 15 months older than her and was representing Donoughmore Macra, Cork.

“It is unusual that two siblings were both in the final of the under-23, but there are no hard feelings. I judged the animals’ teat placement, udder ligament and attachment, the line of their back, their feet and line walk, mouth, the barrel of their body and their height. A tight udder that is wide at the top is essential.”

Edel is one of the founding members of IT Tralee Macra, which was set up only last year. They now have 35 registered members, with 92 attending society events, and are the second largest society in IT Tralee. Edel is also assistant PRO of Kerry Macra and is secretary of IT Tralee Macra.

“I am involved in recruiting new members, publicising events, and also organising trips and events. In October I organised a farm walk on a pig farm, which is an industry that I find fascinating.”

Macra interest is a running trend in Edel’s family: “Dermot is doing woodwork in UL and was a founding member of its Macra society. My sister Elaine studied in University College Cork. Its Macra society had been dissolved for 10 years and she was one of the members who brought it back.”

Edel is currently going into her second year of nursing in IT Tralee. She had considered teaching agricultural science and biology, but the difficulty in gaining a Higher Diploma in education changed her mind.

“I am glad I chose nursing and I love my course. Nursing is internationally recognised and will allow me to travel and work with my degree. It will also allow me to farm at home. Caring for animals and people both require a lot of patience and care, so I think the two go hand in hand.”