In 2009, Deirdre McMahon, a Clare native, graduated with a BSc in general nursing from the University of Limerick. Eight years later she made the official move back to the countryside running a dairy farm with her partner, Bryan Hynes. The career change from nursing back into agriculture was officially made in autumn of 2017, but in truth it was in the making for a number of years prior.
Now 30-years-old, Deirdre’s story of growing up on a farm, going to college, emigrating during the downturn and returning years later, is in sync with so many others of her generation. However, her story has one major difference. Her vision and determination to change careers sets her apart. But lets backtrack.
Born in July in 1988, dairy farming wasn’t a million miles away from her upbringing. Originally a dairy enterprise, the McMahon’s home farm sold its quota and converted to sucklers in 1994. It was those years that developed her innate love for the land and farming itself.
“We would have spent our days growing up out on the farm. I always loved animals and I always loved the outdoors growing up. Both grandparents had farms, so we would have been there every weekend as well. It was an outdoor lifestyle. Even my first job was in the outdoors as a deckhand on a ferry. I enjoyed that, being out in the elements.”
Deirdre McMahon, dairy farmer, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
Entering nursing
“I suppose it never occurred to me that I could have a career as a farmer. When it came to filling out my CAO I put down general nursing in Limerick.”
After graduating in 2009, Deirdre entered the working world, spending three months with an agency. However, a difficult economy and the lack of career opportunities for nurses saw Deirdre take the plane east for London, the first of a number of big decisions for the then graduate.
“I would have been scared at the time, but luckily for me Caitríona, a friend from college, was going abroad as well and she encouraged me to do it. I have absolutely no regrets about going to London, in fact, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made,” she explained. “I don’t think I would be the person I am today had I not gone. It was a brilliant experience and I loved every minute of it. Nursing is a fantastic career.”
Sowing the seeds
After five years in London, Deirdre’s reintroduction back into agriculture was soon on the horizon.
“I moved back to Ireland in 2015, but in truth I had wanted to move back for a while. I was travelling back to Ireland more frequently during this time and this coincided with meeting my boyfriend, Bryan.
“Bryan ran a dairy farm and the majority of my trips were spent there. After being away this sort of reintroduced me back into farming,” she reminisces.
While Deirdre may have been reintroduced to farming in a general sense, the trips during this time certainly served as an initial introduction to the intricacies of dairy farming. It proved to be one of many turning points during the process of her career change.
“I suppose the concept of grass-based dairy farming was new to me and the more I learned about it on those trips the more intrigued I became.
“I was fascinated by it all. I never realised how specialised it was, but it was the scientist in me that got me interested.”
Deirdre McMahon with partner, Bryan Hynes, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
The process to dairying
The seeds were very much sown, and after 2014 things moved fast for Deirdre. After learning to drive in London and obtaining a full-time job in the cancer clinical trials unit in Galway, the stage was set for her to return home in July 2015.
However, her plans to become a dairy farmer had just begun.
What The process involved
So how does a nurse who has spent the previous six years full time in the profession become a dairy farmer? The answer wasn’t simple.
“It was in my mind that I wanted to go farming when I took the job in Galway, but there were numerous steps I had to take to get there. I knew I had to develop my skills in dairy farming. I joined the South Galway Macra and ended up tagging along with Bryan to Teagasc discussion groups to learn more.
“In 2016, I decided to do a new entrants to dairy course with Teagasc and soon after I got involved with the Greenfield discussion group.
“I was learning lots, but those meetings and discussion groups were reinforcing what my thoughts were – that I wanted to move my career in this direction.”
With the basic theory learned, Deirdre made the decision to balance her full-time nursing job with working part time on the farm.
Taking on calf rearing and grassland management, the then 28-year-old realised that the desire to farm and her capability of doing so matched up. But one more thing was left to do.
“I made contact with one other person who did something similar to myself. Katie was an accountant from Kerry who changed careers to go into dairy farming. I called her one day to talk about it. That was the turning point.
“Whatever reservations I had, that conversation clarified them all for me and encouraged me to go for it,” she explained.
Deirdre McMahon, dairy farmer, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
Full-time farming
In autumn of 2017, Deirdre began dairy farming full time with her partner in Bell Harbour in the Burren. She heads up the calf and heifer rearing, but in truth spreads herself across the business as a whole, from milking and grassland management to budgeting and cashflows. But the big question on everybody’s lips – was it worth it?
“Absolutely. I love it. It is a great lifestyle. The flexibility is great. We have great holidays and for a work-life balance in general it is great. I would be up at 5:45am every morning and I would usually try to be finished by 5pm, but there is a nice break in the afternoon. At the weekend we try to take it easy and do the basic jobs.”
“The key is when you are your own boss you can be as efficient as you want to be and give yourself the time off.”
Changing careers can be a difficult obstacle in one’s life. Especially when it is as dramatic as Deirdre McMahon’s. However, the right preparation and an enthusiasm to do it stands for a lot.
“Everything is different now, but I am learning something new each day,” she concluded.
Deirdre McMahon will speak at the Agri Careers Expo on 14 February at the RDS.
In 2009, Deirdre McMahon, a Clare native, graduated with a BSc in general nursing from the University of Limerick. Eight years later she made the official move back to the countryside running a dairy farm with her partner, Bryan Hynes. The career change from nursing back into agriculture was officially made in autumn of 2017, but in truth it was in the making for a number of years prior.
Now 30-years-old, Deirdre’s story of growing up on a farm, going to college, emigrating during the downturn and returning years later, is in sync with so many others of her generation. However, her story has one major difference. Her vision and determination to change careers sets her apart. But lets backtrack.
Born in July in 1988, dairy farming wasn’t a million miles away from her upbringing. Originally a dairy enterprise, the McMahon’s home farm sold its quota and converted to sucklers in 1994. It was those years that developed her innate love for the land and farming itself.
“We would have spent our days growing up out on the farm. I always loved animals and I always loved the outdoors growing up. Both grandparents had farms, so we would have been there every weekend as well. It was an outdoor lifestyle. Even my first job was in the outdoors as a deckhand on a ferry. I enjoyed that, being out in the elements.”
Deirdre McMahon, dairy farmer, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
Entering nursing
“I suppose it never occurred to me that I could have a career as a farmer. When it came to filling out my CAO I put down general nursing in Limerick.”
After graduating in 2009, Deirdre entered the working world, spending three months with an agency. However, a difficult economy and the lack of career opportunities for nurses saw Deirdre take the plane east for London, the first of a number of big decisions for the then graduate.
“I would have been scared at the time, but luckily for me Caitríona, a friend from college, was going abroad as well and she encouraged me to do it. I have absolutely no regrets about going to London, in fact, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made,” she explained. “I don’t think I would be the person I am today had I not gone. It was a brilliant experience and I loved every minute of it. Nursing is a fantastic career.”
Sowing the seeds
After five years in London, Deirdre’s reintroduction back into agriculture was soon on the horizon.
“I moved back to Ireland in 2015, but in truth I had wanted to move back for a while. I was travelling back to Ireland more frequently during this time and this coincided with meeting my boyfriend, Bryan.
“Bryan ran a dairy farm and the majority of my trips were spent there. After being away this sort of reintroduced me back into farming,” she reminisces.
While Deirdre may have been reintroduced to farming in a general sense, the trips during this time certainly served as an initial introduction to the intricacies of dairy farming. It proved to be one of many turning points during the process of her career change.
“I suppose the concept of grass-based dairy farming was new to me and the more I learned about it on those trips the more intrigued I became.
“I was fascinated by it all. I never realised how specialised it was, but it was the scientist in me that got me interested.”
Deirdre McMahon with partner, Bryan Hynes, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
The process to dairying
The seeds were very much sown, and after 2014 things moved fast for Deirdre. After learning to drive in London and obtaining a full-time job in the cancer clinical trials unit in Galway, the stage was set for her to return home in July 2015.
However, her plans to become a dairy farmer had just begun.
What The process involved
So how does a nurse who has spent the previous six years full time in the profession become a dairy farmer? The answer wasn’t simple.
“It was in my mind that I wanted to go farming when I took the job in Galway, but there were numerous steps I had to take to get there. I knew I had to develop my skills in dairy farming. I joined the South Galway Macra and ended up tagging along with Bryan to Teagasc discussion groups to learn more.
“In 2016, I decided to do a new entrants to dairy course with Teagasc and soon after I got involved with the Greenfield discussion group.
“I was learning lots, but those meetings and discussion groups were reinforcing what my thoughts were – that I wanted to move my career in this direction.”
With the basic theory learned, Deirdre made the decision to balance her full-time nursing job with working part time on the farm.
Taking on calf rearing and grassland management, the then 28-year-old realised that the desire to farm and her capability of doing so matched up. But one more thing was left to do.
“I made contact with one other person who did something similar to myself. Katie was an accountant from Kerry who changed careers to go into dairy farming. I called her one day to talk about it. That was the turning point.
“Whatever reservations I had, that conversation clarified them all for me and encouraged me to go for it,” she explained.
Deirdre McMahon, dairy farmer, Bell Harbour, Co Clare. \ David Ruffles
Full-time farming
In autumn of 2017, Deirdre began dairy farming full time with her partner in Bell Harbour in the Burren. She heads up the calf and heifer rearing, but in truth spreads herself across the business as a whole, from milking and grassland management to budgeting and cashflows. But the big question on everybody’s lips – was it worth it?
“Absolutely. I love it. It is a great lifestyle. The flexibility is great. We have great holidays and for a work-life balance in general it is great. I would be up at 5:45am every morning and I would usually try to be finished by 5pm, but there is a nice break in the afternoon. At the weekend we try to take it easy and do the basic jobs.”
“The key is when you are your own boss you can be as efficient as you want to be and give yourself the time off.”
Changing careers can be a difficult obstacle in one’s life. Especially when it is as dramatic as Deirdre McMahon’s. However, the right preparation and an enthusiasm to do it stands for a lot.
“Everything is different now, but I am learning something new each day,” she concluded.
Deirdre McMahon will speak at the Agri Careers Expo on 14 February at the RDS.
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