I farm: “100ac, 65ac of good land and the rest is marginal. I have 60 Galway sheep and 25 suckler cows. We’ve been farming the same land here since Cromwell said ‘to hell or to Connacht’.”

Land: “We have good deep black soil and then some sandy soil as well, which we graze in early spring. Back in the day around this place it would have been a big sheep area because there was no fluke prevention and because of the dry land here, the sheep were seen as ‘fluke free’, as they’d say.”

Family: “I farm with my wife Kathleen and four children, Jack, Gerard, Aileen and Conor. My son Jack is in partnership with me since this year.”

This week: “We’re TB testing. I’m moving sheep home today and taking out the ram.”

Cattle: “I have four or five purebred Limousin cattle. I sell the weanlings in Athenry Mart or at home on the farm. We sell the pedigree bulls at home too.”

Lambing: “I generally lamb in late March and early April. I’m a farm technician in Teagasc Athenry with the last 35 years and I’m usually lambing there as well.”

Galway sheep: “In 1996 we had our first registered Galway sheep but there’s always been Galway sheep on the farm. They were on the farm when I took over from my father. My father had nice ones, he had an eye and an interest in them. From being young and being out with him in marts with them, that’s where my interest came from.”

Wool co-op: “I’m the chair of the Galway Wool Co-op. Wool should not be a waste product. It’s natural, recyclable and biodegradable. In the worst-case scenario, it should be used as insulation. It ticks all the boxes and we’re pushing for more to be done on that.”