We’re half way between Dunnamaggin and Callan, you could say. I grew up on our family farm.

My partner, he’s a dairy farmer. So for my sins, I’m only heading one way. He’s based in The Rower, so calving mad now at the minute.

Growing up, I would have had an interest in the farm, but I’m not going to lie, nothing sensational. We would have always helped dad moving stock and that.

My memories of going to school are sitting in the back of the jeep, holding buckets of meal going to the out farm on the way. Some days we’d be giving out going into school: “Ah, we’re going to stink of the meal, Dad.”

Obviously, considering there’s only two girls here - my sister lectures in Kildalton - we would have been out a good bit. Were we doing a huge amount? No, we weren’t. It’s actually gas that we both ended up working in ag and we both now have a big interest in the farming side of things.

In school, I had my heart set on veterinary, actually. In fourth year, I did placement in a large veterinary practice and a small veterinary practice. The small wasn’t really for me. I was just more interested in the larger animals. Then I did the large and I saw them out doing caesareans and up in the middle of the night. I said: “Ah here, I don’t know.”

Then, I changed my mind. I got big into sport and I was going towards physio. In the meantime, my sister did ag science and she would have been two years ahead of me. She started ag science and she loved it, so I started looking into it.

It was probably the month before I had to fill in my CAO that I changed my first preference to go down the agricultural route. I was definitely flipping and turning. Even getting the CAO results, I don’t know if I was sure what I wanted to do. But then once I went in, I actually loved ag science in UCD.

I graduated in 2016 and I went straight into Glanbia onto their graduate programme. I’ve been there since. I was originally on the tillage side. Then in 2018, I switched over to being ruminant business manager.

Camogie days

I went to an all-girls’ primary school in Callan. We had no camogie or anything like that, so I wouldn’t have been that sporty. Then I went to St Brigid’s College in Callan for secondary school. At the time St Brigid’s were winning the secondary school All-Irelands.

I got friendly with a crowd of the girls from Windgap and Dunnamaggin, so then in first year I joined Windgap Camogie Club. There was none in Callan at the time. That’s when my interest in sports really took off.

I nearly became obsessed with camogie, you could say. I was out beating the ball against the wall for hours on end at night time. Mam and dad would be out roaring at me to come in, that kind of a thing.

I was 13 picking up camogie. The next year, Windgap sent me in for a trial with Kilkenny for the under 16s. Sure that was it then. It just goes to show if you put in the hard work.

I was very driven, I knew I was behind. I stayed playing then with Kilkenny until the year before last. I only gave up to do my master’s.

I would have probably, at the time, had it in my mind to go back. With county training you wouldn’t be training with the club as much. To be honest, it’s something I hadn’t done in years, I hadn’t gone down with the girls I grew up with and gone training three or four nights a week with them. And I absolutely loved it.

Then I also took into running, I got big into it. I joined a running club down in Dungarvan in Waterford, because we’d have a holiday home down there. I didn’t realise as well, how much time over the years I had given to playing county camogie. It’s an awful lot of time and everything has to take a back seat as a result.

I did the master’s in business and supply chain management in IT Carlow. I graduated last year. Then in September, I went back to Carlow again and started a higher diploma in digital marketing.

I’m on the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) Council and involved in Macra as well. I’m county chair of Kilkenny Macra and my club is Callan.

I like to be busy, but I’ve probably taken on a bit much in the last while. I keep saying: “Oh I’m not going to go back to college again.” Everyone’s like: “Where have we heard that before? You said that after the master’s.”

I wouldn’t be one for getting worried. Just take it as it comes and see where it goes. I’d be efficient in what I’d do, but then I’d be easy going too. “Just get on with things” really, is probably my attitude in life.