I grew up on the family farm in south Kilkenny and from an early age I was always interested in what was going on and being in contact with the livestock. The farm was in dairying at the time and it was that end of the farm I was interested in the most, so from an early age I knew I wanted to work with milking stock.
In secondary school I chose subjects that I was most interested in and thought would be most useful as a dairy farmer, Agricultural Science so I would understand the details of how a farm worked, Building Construction as farmers are always building and developing their farms for the future, Technical Drawing so I could plan out future developments.
Looking back I now know I should have also done Business Studies, as cash flow budgets and planning is what I spend at least half my time in the office at.
After the Leaving Cert I went to Kildalton Agriculture Collage and did the Certificate in Farming and Agriculture. Following that I was lucky enough to win the Teagasc 'Student of the Year' which put me in contact with some very good people that helped to shape my farming system.
Shortly after Kildalton when working on the home farm my father allowed me to take over the management of the farm and I started to focus on the dairy herd. In 2003 I travelled to New Zealand on a study trip and that is when I had my eyes opened to what dairy farming can truly be when done right.
The following year I was then asked to join the Kildalton discussion group which is a group of some of the best dairy farmers in the south east. It is through working with this group that have pushed me to where I am to day.
