Historically women have played an essential role on Irish family farms. The most recent CSO statistics show that up to 70,000 women work on farms every day without official recognition for their work.
However, every year at our Women & Agriculture conference, we recognise and celebrate women that are involved in farming, agricultural businesses and rural Ireland. Furthermore, the future looks bright in education. In 2023, 41% of those who sat the agricultural science Leaving Cert exam were female.
Five farmers talk about their careers and the challenges they have faced – and overcome – over the years.
Suzanna Crampton
Sheep farmer and entrepreneur, Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny
Originally from the USA, Suzanna (61) spent most of her summers at her grandparents’ small farm in Kilkenny. When she inherited the farm in 1997, she bought her first flock of conventional commercial stock sheep. Due to small acreage, Suzanna decided a pedigree breed would be better suited and came across Zwartbles.
With 25 ewes currently on the farm, she has diversified into other ventures including blanket making, hosting tours and creating content on social media.
“Women are an integral part of farming, and they have been for generations, but are not recognised as much as they should be. In the last 10 years, so many women have taken the lead in food production and diversification, working on their farms with their husbands or partners to create a sustainable income through financial and weather fluctuations,” says Suzanna.
Denise Twomey
Dairy farmer, Innishannon, Co Cork
Denise Twomey from Innishannon, Cork.
Growing up on a small-scale dairy and beef farm, Denise (26) always loved agriculture and helping out on the farm.
“It was what I always wanted to do, I never thought of doing anything else. In primary school, I used get my writing homework done and go down and watch the cows being milked while I was doing my reading,” she says.
In 2016, Denise completed an advanced certificate in dairy herd management in Clonakilty and spent two years managing a neighbouring farm before entering a partnership with her father. They now milk 53 cows and Denise also does relief milking to support her income.
Denise knows women have always been an integral part of Irish agriculture.
“What has changed is that women are now starting to get recognition for the work they do on the farm. I also think in recent years people are more accepting that women are equally as capable as men at running a farm.
“For my generation, there doesn’t seem to be as many barriers to face as there would have been in the past. There are different pathways now for people to get into farming with the collaborative options of farm partnerships, shared farming and leasing cows all helping young farmers progress their careers into being business owners.”
Christine Curran
Dairy farmer, Modelligo, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
Christine Curran, dairy farmer from Co Waterford.
Christine has been milking cows alongside her mother all of her life. She took over the farm 35 years ago when she finished school and farms full-time.
Her dad got sick and she became more involved in the farm. She completed a certificate in farming which was the equivalent of the green cert back then.
“I always loved farming. After school, I was doing nothing else, I was going farming and that was it. I told nobody because at that time I was at an all-girls school, if I mentioned I was going farming they would have laughed at me. Things are different now because there are so many courses in agriculture,” says Christine.
She married Thomas, who farmed 10 miles up the road. They joined herds and went into a milk production partnership together.
“I took over our family farm, I got the herd number and the land in my name,” she says.
The biggest transformation Christine has seen is quotas being abolished, herd sizes increasing and advancements in technology.
“They are all a great help, but on the downside of that is all the paperwork and regulations.
“We don’t know if they will drop the nitrates to 220kg N/ha, we were lucky last year that we stayed at the 250kg N/ha,” she tells Irish Country Living, so it can be hard to plan for the unknown.
Anne and Nicole Keohane
Dairy farmers, Innishannon, Co Cork
Anne Keohane and her granddaughter Nicole Keohane at the National Dairy Awards.
Anne has always been heavily involved in agriculture and farmed in partnership with her father. When she married her husband John, he too became involved until they took over the farm over together. Her role has always been recognised, and she is the named owner alongside her husband.
Her granddaughter Nicole (26) enjoyed helping out on the farm from an early age. When she was 16, Anne taught her to milk cows and she became more involved. “We have been milking together, and with my grandfather ever since,” says Nicole.
Anne is a strong believer that there has never been any gender barriers in her way, her love of farming began at a young age and was nurtured by her father.
“Her gender never held her back – she had the drive and knowledge base,” says Nicole.
Anne has spent many years being the only woman in the room, having held board positions on Bandon Co-Op, Agri Aware, NDC and Clona Dairies.
“I have grown up admiring Anne, and her knowledge, confidence and ability to stand up for herself.
“I am also conscious that she was fortunate to have a supportive father, who nurtured her love of the farm. I know of many other women, who are stretched between being a full-time farmer and mother. They are left with no time for themselves, nevermind holding a board position. They may not be a named owner on farm documents or hold shares in their local co-op,” says Nicole.
“But things have changed especially in terms of succession. It is no longer a given that the eldest brother will get the farm, but rather the most interested or driven, and this includes daughters,” she says.
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Historically women have played an essential role on Irish family farms. The most recent CSO statistics show that up to 70,000 women work on farms every day without official recognition for their work.
However, every year at our Women & Agriculture conference, we recognise and celebrate women that are involved in farming, agricultural businesses and rural Ireland. Furthermore, the future looks bright in education. In 2023, 41% of those who sat the agricultural science Leaving Cert exam were female.
Five farmers talk about their careers and the challenges they have faced – and overcome – over the years.
Suzanna Crampton
Sheep farmer and entrepreneur, Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny
Originally from the USA, Suzanna (61) spent most of her summers at her grandparents’ small farm in Kilkenny. When she inherited the farm in 1997, she bought her first flock of conventional commercial stock sheep. Due to small acreage, Suzanna decided a pedigree breed would be better suited and came across Zwartbles.
With 25 ewes currently on the farm, she has diversified into other ventures including blanket making, hosting tours and creating content on social media.
“Women are an integral part of farming, and they have been for generations, but are not recognised as much as they should be. In the last 10 years, so many women have taken the lead in food production and diversification, working on their farms with their husbands or partners to create a sustainable income through financial and weather fluctuations,” says Suzanna.
Denise Twomey
Dairy farmer, Innishannon, Co Cork
Denise Twomey from Innishannon, Cork.
Growing up on a small-scale dairy and beef farm, Denise (26) always loved agriculture and helping out on the farm.
“It was what I always wanted to do, I never thought of doing anything else. In primary school, I used get my writing homework done and go down and watch the cows being milked while I was doing my reading,” she says.
In 2016, Denise completed an advanced certificate in dairy herd management in Clonakilty and spent two years managing a neighbouring farm before entering a partnership with her father. They now milk 53 cows and Denise also does relief milking to support her income.
Denise knows women have always been an integral part of Irish agriculture.
“What has changed is that women are now starting to get recognition for the work they do on the farm. I also think in recent years people are more accepting that women are equally as capable as men at running a farm.
“For my generation, there doesn’t seem to be as many barriers to face as there would have been in the past. There are different pathways now for people to get into farming with the collaborative options of farm partnerships, shared farming and leasing cows all helping young farmers progress their careers into being business owners.”
Christine Curran
Dairy farmer, Modelligo, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
Christine Curran, dairy farmer from Co Waterford.
Christine has been milking cows alongside her mother all of her life. She took over the farm 35 years ago when she finished school and farms full-time.
Her dad got sick and she became more involved in the farm. She completed a certificate in farming which was the equivalent of the green cert back then.
“I always loved farming. After school, I was doing nothing else, I was going farming and that was it. I told nobody because at that time I was at an all-girls school, if I mentioned I was going farming they would have laughed at me. Things are different now because there are so many courses in agriculture,” says Christine.
She married Thomas, who farmed 10 miles up the road. They joined herds and went into a milk production partnership together.
“I took over our family farm, I got the herd number and the land in my name,” she says.
The biggest transformation Christine has seen is quotas being abolished, herd sizes increasing and advancements in technology.
“They are all a great help, but on the downside of that is all the paperwork and regulations.
“We don’t know if they will drop the nitrates to 220kg N/ha, we were lucky last year that we stayed at the 250kg N/ha,” she tells Irish Country Living, so it can be hard to plan for the unknown.
Anne and Nicole Keohane
Dairy farmers, Innishannon, Co Cork
Anne Keohane and her granddaughter Nicole Keohane at the National Dairy Awards.
Anne has always been heavily involved in agriculture and farmed in partnership with her father. When she married her husband John, he too became involved until they took over the farm over together. Her role has always been recognised, and she is the named owner alongside her husband.
Her granddaughter Nicole (26) enjoyed helping out on the farm from an early age. When she was 16, Anne taught her to milk cows and she became more involved. “We have been milking together, and with my grandfather ever since,” says Nicole.
Anne is a strong believer that there has never been any gender barriers in her way, her love of farming began at a young age and was nurtured by her father.
“Her gender never held her back – she had the drive and knowledge base,” says Nicole.
Anne has spent many years being the only woman in the room, having held board positions on Bandon Co-Op, Agri Aware, NDC and Clona Dairies.
“I have grown up admiring Anne, and her knowledge, confidence and ability to stand up for herself.
“I am also conscious that she was fortunate to have a supportive father, who nurtured her love of the farm. I know of many other women, who are stretched between being a full-time farmer and mother. They are left with no time for themselves, nevermind holding a board position. They may not be a named owner on farm documents or hold shares in their local co-op,” says Nicole.
“But things have changed especially in terms of succession. It is no longer a given that the eldest brother will get the farm, but rather the most interested or driven, and this includes daughters,” she says.
Read more
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Careers: new project pairs teenage girls with female mentors
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