Clareman is 2019 FBD Young Farmer of the Year

Liam Hanrahan is the 2019 FBD Young Farmer of the Year.

“I’ve looked up to this competition and its winners for many years and I’m delighted to receive this accolade,” he said.

The 26-year-old Clareman is dairy farming with his parents Willie and Catherine.

“We’re currently milking 180 cows in Doonbeg in west Clare,” he explained.

“We’re supplying Kerry Agribusiness, so we weren’t as restricted as others. We’ve expanded from 100 cows in 2012.

Our land is a bit later, being heavier soil. We still get good spring grazing into our rotations

“We have high-EBI Friesian cows and have incorporated some New Zealand genetics and Jersey-cross bloodlines.

“You cannot fault them in terms of fat and protein production. We have a heavier soil type, so we like a slightly lighter cow. High-EBI genetics is the key for us in terms of breeding.”

“Our land is a bit later, being heavier soil. We still get good spring grazing into our rotations, but our management of grazing rotations has to be good. 2019 was a fantastic grazing season from the start.

“We managed to get 10 grazings in February, which was a massive bonus.

“It was a wetter back end to the year, but we can’t complain overall. It’s been a good year production-wise, and we’re delighted they’re all back in calf.”

Liam’s dad Willie is the Clare IFA county chair, and is standing for the Munster regional chair position.

If you take a positive attitude, you can create solutions

“It’s a busy house alright,” says Liam, “but that’s the way we like it.”

“Attitude is key in farming. Your management capability must be focused around improving and efficiency all the time. If you take a positive attitude, you can create solutions.”

Liam completed an ag science degree in UCD, and then conducted a PhD in Moorepark.

It has to come back to research, and data-informed research to create solutions for Irish farmers, especially young farmers.

Does Liam have a message for any young person considering a career in farming? “Go for it, just go for it,” he said.

Alan Doyle of Kilkenny won both the drystock category and the National Rural Network Biodiversity Young Farmer of the Year Award. Other category winners were Shane Fitzgerald (Waterford, Dairy), Edward Egan (Roscommon, Land Mobility), Daniel Hickey (Carbery, Other Enterprises), Sinead Conry (Roscommon, Best Emerging Young Farmer), Sean Roddy (Kildare, Most Climate Change Conscious Young Farmer), Thomas Kane (Cavan-Best, Young Farm Manager).