My father Eugene has always had a suckler farm, which is what I’d have grown up with, but my grandad had a dairy farm. Unfortunately, grandad passed away in 2003, which meant that his parlour was going unused. After some consideration, my parents decided to convert the farm and got back into dairying again in 2013. Now we milk 120 cows and operate a 14-unit bailing-system parlour. We expanded from the original six-unit over time. We’ve modernised the parlour by putting in an automatic feeding system and by building new sheds.
My father Eugene has always had a suckler farm, which is what I’d have grown up with, but my grandad had a dairy farm. Unfortunately, grandad passed away in 2003, which meant that his parlour was going unused.
After some consideration, my parents decided to convert the farm and got back into dairying again in 2013. Now we milk 120 cows and operate a 14-unit bailing-system parlour. We expanded from the original six-unit over time. We’ve modernised the parlour by putting in an automatic feeding system and by building new sheds.
Cliona wants to expand her sheep flock in Co Wexford.
Dairying is not all we do though, as we also have about 30 purebred Angus in the mix. We generally sell the bull calves and we were extremely lucky this year as the demand for them was very high, so we sold the 12-14 month old calves as well, essentially next year’s bulls.
We also keep a couple of Angus-cross dairy cows to sell at Carnew Mart. I miss the mart, really. Myself and my sister Rebecca both have trailer licences, my father doesn’t and my brother James is just 13. So on a Saturday morning when he says, “Someone needs to bring cattle to the mart”, my sister and I go. It’s just the atmosphere up there, you can’t beat it and dad is always laughing at us for it.
Education
I went to secondary school in Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, where I’m from. I knew that I always wanted to be either a nurse or a farmer, but a job came up in the local Glanbia there and I was offered that position.
I was working in both Kilmuckridge and the co-op in Ashford, Co Wicklow. I enjoyed the job, as both shops were very different to each other in terms of customers. I ended up doing my Green Cert for two years at Kilmuckridge school too, so I‘ve completed all my senior education at the same place.
I suppose I kind of regret not going for nursing, but I have dyslexia and that made school very tough. I was always a very good student and I even won the School Spirit Award when I was there, but I know farming and I’ve always been a farmer so maybe it’s what I’ll stick with. My mother Siobhán works for the Irish Wheelchair Association and I think that’s where I get the draw to be a nurse from, there’s just something about giving to others that I like the idea of.
Sheep
I know that farming is very rewarding too and this year I bought myself 14 ewes. I lambed them all and I got 25 lambs from them. My father asked me if I would prefer calves, but I said no – I wanted to take on the responsibility for myself. I wanted something of my own, that I paid for and was responsible for and it was important that I did everything myself.
It really is rewarding to look at them in the field and it makes all the sleepless nights and hard work worth it. My plan is to keep the ewe lambs and fatten the ram lambs for the factory. I’m not sure what my father is going to say about this, but I plan on expanding my sheep flock.
I have no problem with cattle, I can dose cattle and everything, but I feel that sheep are much easier for me to handle physically and I don’t need the lads to help me, as I’m well able to take care of them myself. I’m 21 now and I’ve worked with sheep before – my sister is 20 and she’s had calves, so we’re very used to farming life.
My family also do contracting in the summer, we do mowing, silage baling and wrapping. This year, we bought a McHale Fusion three baler/wrapper, which my sister drives. We have a lot of girl power in the O’Leary family. 
To be honest, I do rely on my family a lot and they’re so good to me, as I’m working all the time. My sister is seeing how much I love having the sheep and she was asking if we might get more sheep together next year. Even my brother is becoming interested in sheep, because he’s getting more responsibility too.
When I’m working, I would ask him to keep an eye on them for me and make sure they’re OK, so he will feed them or give them water. I feel that having the sheep has strengthened the bond between myself and James, as he would ring me a lot to tell me how they are doing and everything.
These days, I work for Tommy Williamson’s Farm Supplies in Enniscorthy and I’m so delighted that we are able to stay open during the COVID-19 crisis.
It is a call and collect for essential items only, but we are run off our feet and I couldn’t have kept the sheep and the job going at the same time without Rebecca and James – I really can’t praise them enough. It’s a whole family effort and I’m so thankful for them and my parents, I do really appreciate the help when it’s needed.
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