Farming in 2026: "I can have my nails done, I can have my tan on"
Sínann Fetherston speaks with dairy farmer Yvonne Connelly and her daughter, Anna, to discuss the realities of farming in modern Ireland.
"People didn't expect four young girls to physically be out working on a farm," says Anna Connelly, "which is understandable to an extent because it is a male-dominated sector, but I think it's starting to change."
Anna and her three sisters (Ava, Jane and Kate) were raised on a farm in Tuam, Co Galway, by their parents, Yvonne and Austin.
In 2022, the family took home the top prize at the National Dairy Council and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards, which led them to their new roles as ambassadors for the NDC.
As well as discussing their work - from animal welfare to sustainable practices - the Connelly family hopes to tackle stereotypes when it comes to farming in modern Ireland.
"I can have my nails done, I can have my tan on, and I can still milk the cows," states Anna. "I think that's something that people didn't get at the start, but I think we've done fairly well, maybe, at getting past that."
"We can use it to our advantage," adds the 23-year-old. "With the tan, for example, I saw online that people were using their exfoliating mitts to clean the clusters in the [milking] parlour. We can tie in the glam life to everyday life and make use of it."
Photo Credit: National Dairy Council
Having completed both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Geography and English (her three sisters are still in the middle of their studies), Anna is currently teaching in the West of Ireland, but says she goes back to the farm at every opportunity.
"It's about finding a way to blend them together," she says of her passions. "Any days off or weekends, we're always up for lending a helping hand where we can."
Although she has been drawn to teaching, Anna says that she will always be tied to farming and could see her career moving in that direction later in life.
"I would never say never," she insists. "We're so fortunate with the NDC to become ambassadors as four young girls - and mam and dad, obviously! It's opened our eyes so much to what is out there."
As well as milk production and caring for the animals, farming today involves cutting-edge technology, with farmers taking grassland management, herd genetics, biodiversity initiatives and sustainability into consideration.
"It's really opened our eyes," Anna says of her ambassador role. "Not only the on-farm work and the milking of the cows and looking after the animals, but to other aspects that could tie into my job in the future with my degree."
"Our aim is always to have people understand Irish dairy farming in the real world," she surmises.
Photo Credit: National Dairy Council
Although many farms in Ireland are passed down from parents to children (the Connelly farm is a fifth-generation farm), Anna says her parents never put any pressure on the girls to take over.
"It was never expected of us," she says. "We used to be a sheep and beef farm, so changing to dairy was a whole new scenario. We got to witness all that, and I think seeing the work that our parents put into it, it made us want to do them proud and do the same. It's not that we were ever forced into it."
"Being part of it, we've learned so much," she adds, explaining that her father would always insist on his daughters trying their hand at everything that came their way.
"He would always give us the opportunity to give it a go and to learn," she explains. "You wouldn't expect to see a 20-year-old girl driving a tractor or milking cows by herself - a hundred of them!"
"I feel like you learn so much about yourself, and what you can do, and what you're able to do," she continues. "You have to be able to adapt. In the few years that we've been in dairy farming, there's already been so much change with technology, sustainability, and how to work efficiently."
Photo Credit: National Dairy Council
Unlike Anna, Kate, Jane and Ava, Yvonne Connelly had no ties to agriculture as a child. In fact, she was working as a dental nurse before meeting her now-husband, Austin.
"I definitely was not a candidate for farming," laughs Yvonne. "I would have been afraid, if anything, so I wouldn't have gone out, but I fell in love with Austin and then eventually fell in love with farming."
Describing herself as someone with an "inquisitive mind", she says that the constant problem-solving involved in farming was something that warmed her to the lifestyle.
"I have a great interest in how things work," she explains. "How to figure out how things work and how to fix them. I have an inquisitive mind, which I hope I've passed on to the daughters we have. Austin is of the same mindset."
Spending time outdoors was another aspect that drew Yvonne to the job, with the mum of four describing her days as incredibly rewarding.
"I milk the cows out in the parlour everyday and I love it," she says. "I love the peace and quiet of it. I love the cows; they're very docile. And the girls are great too, they'll come out farming with us every weekend or when they're on their holidays.
"You could find one of them hugging a cow," she adds, smiling. "They go missing, and they could be found somewhere hugging a cow, talking to them, or rubbing them. They're nearly pets at this stage."
Photo Credit: National Dairy Council
Reflecting on motherhood, it's clear that Yvonne is immensely proud of her daughters, who range from ages 19 to 25.
"They love their fashion, their nails, their coffees, their concerts, their holidays," she lists.
"But, in contrast to that, they'll be out milking cows, feeding calves, cleaning cubicles. And all the technology! Jane loves the genetics of the animals, Ava does our grass measuring - it's a great way of life."
2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer, and the Connelly family are hoping to use their roles as ambassadors to celebrate the women holding up the industry. Particularly as Austin's mother, Frances, was one of four daughters who ran the Galway farm before it was passed down to him.
"Women have never blinked an eye at it," Yvonne says of life on a farm. "There are generations of women gone before us; they just never stood up and said, 'I'm here'. They were in the background, working quietly, doing loads of work, and it was just the way it was."
Today, she is proud to shine a light on the women who are thriving in the industry.
"We don't wonder at five women here with Austin," she says, a smile in her voice. "It's just our normal life. Sometimes we wonder why people would wonder at it!"
