I farm: “10 cattle on 22ac rented in Bray. We’re not from a farming background, but I always knew I wanted to farm. I spent my summers farming with neighbours.”
Cattle: “I used to calve a few cows but now have all drystock. I buy in light stores and run them on to forward stores. They’re a mixture of Blonde d’Aquitaine and Limousin and everything is outwintered.”
Marts: “I’m the assistant manager at Enniscorthy Mart and I’m training to be an auctioneer. I have my degree done and I’m starting to get selling. I used to work in Carnew Mart, Leinster Marts and Carnaross.
"I remember going with my grandad to Carnew and being fascinated with how one person can manage an auction. I spent five years studying auctioneering in Technological University Dublin. The other lads all went into property, but I only ever wanted to sell livestock.”
COVID-19: “The online bidding that came in keeps a floor under the trade. You have part-time farmers, elderly farmers, bidding away there at home.
"There’s a couple of things coming down the tracks, the TB changes, that won’t help marts but if you send cattle to the factory, that’s the price you get for them. There might be fewer marts in the years to come but there’ll always be marts in Ireland. Enniscorthy has done a serious trade in the last six months.”
IFA crib: “I’m managing the IFA live crib in St Stephen’s Green with my parents Denis and Jackie and twin sister Aoife.
"My grandad Johnny Gallagher did it before us and he took it over from his brother Joe in 2004, who started in 1998. Grandad passed away in October. I’ve been going in since I was seven.”
Tradition: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard it wasn’t going ahead [at the Mansion House]. I knew there would be uproar. It’s all about the joy of the children and there’s a lot of them that wouldn’t get the exposure.
"The animals are well looked after and the only difference from the shed at home is that they have people looking at them.”
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