Luke Walsh, sheep and beef, Co Kildare
Luke Walsh
“I’ll get my qualifications, hopefully the [Level 8] degree. I might go travelling after that, but at the end of it all, I’d imagine that I’ll get an office job in agriculture and I’ll farm part-time with my uncle on the side. I’d like to get involved with the IFA and see how they work. Teagasc or a Department job would be ideal as well. I’d like to think the future is bright; people have to eat; food has to be produced.”
Emily Needham, beef, Co Tipperary
Emily Needham
“I prefer the practical side, but I don’t mind being in a classroom, it just makes the days a bit long. The days are split: half inside, half outside.
“I’d love to take over the farm [at home], I’ve two brothers, but I don’t think they’ve any interest.
“I definitely want to go to New Zealand for a while as well, but I’m a homebird so I’ll eventually come back.”
Hugh Carey, dairy, Co Westmeath
Hugh Carey
“I haven’t really looked at supports for young farmers, but I may now.
“With the way farm taxes and the inheritance tax is going at the minute, you never know what the future will hold.
“I probably might go abroad for a few years. Do a bit of farm and machinery work, see how that goes and I might come back; might not.”
Brian O’Connor, dairy, Co Tipperary
Brian O'Connor
“I think there should be more practical elements [in the course] because there is a lot of theory.
“The practical side is better; it helps you learn and it’s more hands-on.
“When I’m done, I hope to go on and go to New Zealand or Australia, maybe for a year. Then I’d love to take over the uncle’s farm or work with a farmer to manage the farm eventually.”
Emily Lynch, dairy and beef, Co Clare
(L to R) Emily Lynch and Kate Kehoe
“We learn a good spectrum of topics like machinery maintenance, etc. There is a wide range of what we learn.
“I’d like to go abroad for a year working and then come back home and work as an agriculture adviser or something like that.”
Kate Kehoe, sucklers, Co Wexford
(L to R) Emily Lynch and Kate Kehoe
“I’m thinking about something like Embrace Farm; I’d like to work on the mental health side of agriculture or maybe with Teagasc.
“It’s very old fashioned for a boy in the family to take over the farm. Personally, I don’t have an interest.”
This article was updated on 7 February 2025.
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Luke Walsh, sheep and beef, Co Kildare
Luke Walsh
“I’ll get my qualifications, hopefully the [Level 8] degree. I might go travelling after that, but at the end of it all, I’d imagine that I’ll get an office job in agriculture and I’ll farm part-time with my uncle on the side. I’d like to get involved with the IFA and see how they work. Teagasc or a Department job would be ideal as well. I’d like to think the future is bright; people have to eat; food has to be produced.”
Emily Needham, beef, Co Tipperary
Emily Needham
“I prefer the practical side, but I don’t mind being in a classroom, it just makes the days a bit long. The days are split: half inside, half outside.
“I’d love to take over the farm [at home], I’ve two brothers, but I don’t think they’ve any interest.
“I definitely want to go to New Zealand for a while as well, but I’m a homebird so I’ll eventually come back.”
Hugh Carey, dairy, Co Westmeath
Hugh Carey
“I haven’t really looked at supports for young farmers, but I may now.
“With the way farm taxes and the inheritance tax is going at the minute, you never know what the future will hold.
“I probably might go abroad for a few years. Do a bit of farm and machinery work, see how that goes and I might come back; might not.”
Brian O’Connor, dairy, Co Tipperary
Brian O'Connor
“I think there should be more practical elements [in the course] because there is a lot of theory.
“The practical side is better; it helps you learn and it’s more hands-on.
“When I’m done, I hope to go on and go to New Zealand or Australia, maybe for a year. Then I’d love to take over the uncle’s farm or work with a farmer to manage the farm eventually.”
Emily Lynch, dairy and beef, Co Clare
(L to R) Emily Lynch and Kate Kehoe
“We learn a good spectrum of topics like machinery maintenance, etc. There is a wide range of what we learn.
“I’d like to go abroad for a year working and then come back home and work as an agriculture adviser or something like that.”
Kate Kehoe, sucklers, Co Wexford
(L to R) Emily Lynch and Kate Kehoe
“I’m thinking about something like Embrace Farm; I’d like to work on the mental health side of agriculture or maybe with Teagasc.
“It’s very old fashioned for a boy in the family to take over the farm. Personally, I don’t have an interest.”
This article was updated on 7 February 2025.
Read more
Interview: Martin Heydon on succession, land use and more
Macra increases membership fees
More young farmers opt for pre-nups
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