I farm: “In Glann, Kilkelly in Co Mayo. We are suckler farmers and we have 40 acres with another 60 acres rented.”

System: “We run pedigree and commercial cows. We have pedigree Shorthorn cows and two Simmental heifers. The commercial cattle are Shorthorn and Limousin crosses. We have 25 cows all calving to AI, mainly Charolais bulls. We split calving between the autumn and spring.”

Calves: “Having a Charolais calf on the Shorthorn gives that lovely golden weanling.”

Limousin: “I bought a commercial Limousin heifer last year at a fatstock sale for €4,100 and brought her to shows all summer. She was reserve champion in Tullamore this year.”

Hurricane Ophelia: “One of the cows had twins during the hurricane this week. They are lovely heifer calves and doing well.”

Summer: “It has been wet, very wet again. But I think it’s just something we’ll have to get used to more and more.”

In-calf heifers: “We usually buy in about 20 weanling heifers and sell them then as in-calf heifers. The in-calf heifer trade is on fire at the minute. It’s nearly an over-inflated market.”

Diversifying: “It costs as much to keep a pedigree cow as a commercial cow. If you’re doing pedigree right, you’ll get a better price for the heifer or a bull.”

The future of suckling: “I’m worried about sucklers. You see a lot of lads getting out of it because sucklers are a lot of work and people are working off-farm again. There are dispersal sales nearly every week. But where are the store cattle and good beef animals going to come from? I think the Government is going to have to go back to a real suckler cow payment or else there won’t be a single suckler left in the west.”

Family: “I’m in a joint herd number partnership with my brother Christopher. My other brother Adrian is in partnership with my father Michael.”

Quotable quote: “It’s a lovely little country if only you could put a roof on it.”

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