Where did your interest in agriculture come from?

“I’m from just outside Castleblayney and grew up on a suckler farm, so I would have always been around cows and calves when I was little. I was also Daddy’s girl, wherever he went, I followed, and that has been me ever since I was fit to walk.

“Originally we would have been a suckler farm that went dry stock. In the last few years, my husband Niall and I set up a pedigree Charolais herd. We diversified and started a few commercials as well which is going well. We bought our first pedigree Charolais heifer together in 2020, our prefix is Rock Valley, so that’s what we’re farming under.”

What did you do in college?

“I did animal science in UCD as my undergrad and then a PhD with Teagasc and Queens University, Belfast on suckler beef production. I kept following the agriculture route and it led me to a postdoctoral in Lyons Farm before I got a job lecturing in Dundalk Institute of Technology in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health.

“I moved up to Dublin after the Leaving Cert and I absolutely loved it. It was the best four years and I had a great time. It was a culture shock, but I was still home every weekend for farming, you couldn’t miss that.”

What is it like being a lecturer?

“It was weird turning the tables and coming at it from the other side. But I really love it and there’s something about seeing ag students come from first to fourth year, or going on to do a master’s or seeing how they progress.

“You’re as much a friend as a lecturer, and you know what’s going on at home. It’s a lovely job, it’s really satisfying and I will be here five years in January. I like the conversations with students because they can really have a different perspective.”

What are the preparations ahead of the fair?

“The big thing is the training. We had two heifers showing at the weekend, one of whom we showed during the summer, so she was already halter trained. But the other one was never shown so it’s all about breaking her in and getting her used to it. Last year was my first year and I was bitten by the bug, I have never experienced an atmosphere like it in the ring, it was a great weekend.

“There is a lot of talk about numbers dropping and the future of the suckler herd in Ireland, but when you’re in the middle of it, you see there’s too much interest from the younger generation to let it slide.”