13/11/2025
Huge congratulations to Ms. Sheehan on her nomination as Blarney Person of the Month. Make sure to catch Ms. Sheehan on tonight's episode Ear to the Ground in RTÉ 1 also.
The Muskerry News / Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce person of the month is local teacher and farmer, Aileen Sheehan.
Aileen made history last month when she become the first female to win Ireland's Young Farmer of the Year award since its inception 27 years ago, also winning the dairy category award and the Skillnet Biodiversity Award.
Milking 140 dairy cows on a 100pc leased farm, Aileen began her farming journey in December 2021 after leasing a dairy unit in Whitechurch, purchasing a herd, and commencing milk supply. Alongside her career as a PE and Maths teacher, Aileen runs the enterprise with her husband Philip, who serves in the army. The couple are also parents to a six-month-old baby.
The farm has three part-time staff, Sarah, Aoife, and Tadgh, and has a strong focus on sustainability, winning the Dairygold Milk Quality and Sustainability Award in 2024.
She spoke of the importance of women being visible in the agriculture sector after being announced as the winner. “Behind every good man is a great woman, and that’s true, but we shouldn’t be behind. It’s time for women in the agriculture sector to step forward,” Aileen said.
Josephine O'Neill, Macra National President, said Aileen demonstrated her passion for and dedication to agriculture, the environment, and her local community.
“Aileen is following in the footsteps of many trailblazers in agriculture and will no doubt represent the title with pride and integrity."
The following month, Aileen and Philip, also received the Grassland Management Award at the 2025 NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards, following a comprehensive judging process that evaluated a range of the most important aspects of modern dairy farming.
Congratulations Aileen.
