I farm: “Alongside my mother and father, Patrick and Margaret, we are milking 108 spring calving black and white cows. The herd is based off high EBI genetics, with the herd sitting at an average EBI of €252. I completed the Leaving Cert in 2010, and from there we slowly built numbers from 60 to where we are now, improving infrastructure as we went along.”

This week: “We are approaching three weeks into our breeding season and look set to hit over 90% submission rate in the cows. The heifers were synchronised and AI’d just before the Mr Personality Festival and are now split in to two groups with stock bulls to catch and repeats. We are using heat detection collars on the cows for our second season now, and couldn’t recommend them enough. We are also baling 16ac of first-cut to have some aftergrass coming back for calves or to have bales if needed at a later stage, with the main first-cut to be harvested next week.”

Macra: “I originally joined Macra in 2015 when I was in Gurteen, and from there I joined my local club, Nenagh. At the start, I wouldn’t have been an outgoing person, just attending farm walks and such, but once you take the first step with Macra, great things can happen. I have had various roles in my club and the organisation, being club chairperson and county treasurer, national council representative, sitting on the board of directors and being both vice chairperson and chairperson of the agricultural affairs committee.”

Mr Personality: “Like I said, I was a very shy and reserved person, but Macra gave me great confidence to do things like the Mr Personality Festival, hosted by Kilkenny Macra. I was delighted to take home the Mr Personality trophy, with it being a very prestigious award. It was a great weekend and I have some ideas in the head as to what I would like to do for the year while I have the title.”