The new crops and machinery teacher at Clonakilty Agricultural College is no stranger to machinery, having grown up helping her parents with their potato and contracting business. Kilkenny woman Lorraine Delahunty says it was during her work experience that she discovered a love for teaching.
Lorraine (left) was placed in the Teagasc advisory office in Mullinavat for work experience during her undergrad. One evening her mentor gave Lorraine a few notes to deliver a lecture in Kildalton.
“I loved it. That just goes to show the value of [work experience],” Lorraine said. “The students were part-time adult learners doing the distance learning course. I was younger than most of them.”
A career in agriculture was never on Lorraine’s radar growing up. Despite a love for farming, Lorraine’s careers guidance teacher in secondary school didn’t recommend it to her as an option. Lorraine feels more needs to be done to showcase the agricultural industry as a career opportunity to young people.
“I went to a town school where agricultural courses weren’t pushed at us, it never dawned on me that you could do ag in a college setting. We need to promote it a bit more in schools. There are so many jobs in the ag industry, it’s amazing – all different areas.
“But when you are 17 or 18 and coming from a farming background you forget about the fella selling you the bag of nuts, or meal or fertiliser. That’s agriculture too. It never dawned on me that I could do something other than sticking to the path I know.”
In her Leaving Cert year it was suggested to Lorraine that she study agriculture. While most people she knew that did agriculture went farming, she discovered that there were other options.
It was great I loved every minute of it. Being closer to home was handy
Lorraine decided to do a Level 7 agricultural science course at Cork IT.
Afterwards, she added on a year at Waterford IT to obtain a Level 8 degree in land management.
“It was great I loved every minute of it. Being closer to home was handy,” said Lorraine.
I was teaching tractor driving skills and crops modules to WIT students, so I was teaching people I would have been socialising with
She went on then to do a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Master’s on the selection and approval of host farmers for practical learning periods in agricultural colleges.“I was based in Kildalton for that in the curriculum development and standards unit. I was updating workbooks and things. I also worked with the placement officer, did a lot on that and was teaching in the college. I was teaching tractor driving skills and crops modules to WIT students, so I was teaching people I would have been socialising with.”
Part of Lorraine’s master’s included modules that were delivered in UCD. With her experience in CIT, WIT, UCD, Kildalton and Clonakilty ag colleges, Lorraine is better placed than most to be able compare the experience you can gain as a student at each of the colleges.
“There is a big contrast between the colleges. UCD was an experience. Once upon a time, to get an ag degree from UCD you were viewed with higher esteem. But I don’t think it’s like that anymore. When I did my Walsh Fellowship there were more from Waterford IT than UCD, and more from Dundalk IT than anywhere else,” Lorraine said. “I liked UCD but it was quite intimidating for the first few weeks, I used to park in the same spot and walk the same track every day. The campus is unbelievable, the facilities were amazing. If you had a house on campus in UCD you’d very rarely have to leave it. It’s like a city in the city.
“CIT was great, a small enough college and we spent a lot of time in Clonakilty, which I really enjoyed. I loved WIT, a lot of people are living in the same area around the college, it’s more connected and localised.”
I enjoy the contracting, but this year was a tough year for us
In terms of machinery, Lorraine picked up most of her mechanical knowledge at home. Before she started her job in Clonakilty, Lorraine took a month out this summer to help out with the silage and spuds at home.
“I enjoy the contracting, but this year was a tough year for us. We pulled a few all-nighters but when it rains the next day you feel it is worth it. It was break-start silage and the weather puts pressure on everything. There is such a short few weeks to get the work done now.
“We all love the silage in a way but at home we discuss it at breakfast, dinner and even when you’re watching TV in the evenings. Sometimes there can be no break from it. That’s the joys of it when you’re the boss’s daughter.”
Now though, Lorraine is based in Clonakilty from Monday to Friday. Over the summer she was teaching some 60 students doing the distance-learning course. As it’s her first year on the job, Lorraine has her work cut out for her preparing material for students.
“I’ve been going into work early in the morning and leaving late in the evening. Prep time is huge in the first year, preparing lectures and assessments. It’s quite full on to get ahead of myself. The first year is always the worst, I’ve got great help from those in Clonakilty and in Kildalton.”
You’re not on your own, but I definitely think we should be encouraging more women
Being a woman, teaching agricultural mechanics, Irish Country Living was interested to hear Lorraine’s thoughts on women in the machinery space.
“You’re not on your own, but I definitely think we should be encouraging more women. Down my area there are more girls driving tractors than ever before, I think it will take a while before it’s normalised. There are more and more girls driving and doing ag courses.
“Last year, there were seven [girls] in the advanced dairy class. In the college in Clonakilty we have female admin, teaching, catering and yard staff. There is a good representation there but we are a long way off equal numbers.”
Sinead Foley
Tralee IT
Sinead Foley is studying ag mechanics at Tralee IT.
Sinead Foley is from a beef farm in Dungarvan, Co Waterford. She has just started her third year of agricultural engineering in Tralee IT.
“I always had an interest in making stuff. I came across the ag engineering course in Tralee and decided that was for me. I went to an all-girls school so metalwork wasn’t an option for me for the Leaving Cert. They told me to do physics instead. All the boys going into my year in Tralee had metalwork done. There are 13 of us and I’m the only girl in my year.
“From the end of January to May this [academic] year we’ll be on placement. We have practical classes, maths, physics and electrics. I’m definitely taken seriously, all the boys have never had a problem with me there.
“I had some experience in welding from home but other than that the lads know more of the technical kind of things from machines. I’m still learning on that front. My plan is to do my third-year project on a calf crush. I want it to be able to go beside a normal crush, so the cow and calf can see each other. I want things to be safe. For me, if I want to handle a calf they are a bit big for me when they are two months old. Having a safe handling system is important.”
The new crops and machinery teacher at Clonakilty Agricultural College is no stranger to machinery, having grown up helping her parents with their potato and contracting business. Kilkenny woman Lorraine Delahunty says it was during her work experience that she discovered a love for teaching.
Lorraine (left) was placed in the Teagasc advisory office in Mullinavat for work experience during her undergrad. One evening her mentor gave Lorraine a few notes to deliver a lecture in Kildalton.
“I loved it. That just goes to show the value of [work experience],” Lorraine said. “The students were part-time adult learners doing the distance learning course. I was younger than most of them.”
A career in agriculture was never on Lorraine’s radar growing up. Despite a love for farming, Lorraine’s careers guidance teacher in secondary school didn’t recommend it to her as an option. Lorraine feels more needs to be done to showcase the agricultural industry as a career opportunity to young people.
“I went to a town school where agricultural courses weren’t pushed at us, it never dawned on me that you could do ag in a college setting. We need to promote it a bit more in schools. There are so many jobs in the ag industry, it’s amazing – all different areas.
“But when you are 17 or 18 and coming from a farming background you forget about the fella selling you the bag of nuts, or meal or fertiliser. That’s agriculture too. It never dawned on me that I could do something other than sticking to the path I know.”
In her Leaving Cert year it was suggested to Lorraine that she study agriculture. While most people she knew that did agriculture went farming, she discovered that there were other options.
It was great I loved every minute of it. Being closer to home was handy
Lorraine decided to do a Level 7 agricultural science course at Cork IT.
Afterwards, she added on a year at Waterford IT to obtain a Level 8 degree in land management.
“It was great I loved every minute of it. Being closer to home was handy,” said Lorraine.
I was teaching tractor driving skills and crops modules to WIT students, so I was teaching people I would have been socialising with
She went on then to do a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Master’s on the selection and approval of host farmers for practical learning periods in agricultural colleges.“I was based in Kildalton for that in the curriculum development and standards unit. I was updating workbooks and things. I also worked with the placement officer, did a lot on that and was teaching in the college. I was teaching tractor driving skills and crops modules to WIT students, so I was teaching people I would have been socialising with.”
Part of Lorraine’s master’s included modules that were delivered in UCD. With her experience in CIT, WIT, UCD, Kildalton and Clonakilty ag colleges, Lorraine is better placed than most to be able compare the experience you can gain as a student at each of the colleges.
“There is a big contrast between the colleges. UCD was an experience. Once upon a time, to get an ag degree from UCD you were viewed with higher esteem. But I don’t think it’s like that anymore. When I did my Walsh Fellowship there were more from Waterford IT than UCD, and more from Dundalk IT than anywhere else,” Lorraine said. “I liked UCD but it was quite intimidating for the first few weeks, I used to park in the same spot and walk the same track every day. The campus is unbelievable, the facilities were amazing. If you had a house on campus in UCD you’d very rarely have to leave it. It’s like a city in the city.
“CIT was great, a small enough college and we spent a lot of time in Clonakilty, which I really enjoyed. I loved WIT, a lot of people are living in the same area around the college, it’s more connected and localised.”
I enjoy the contracting, but this year was a tough year for us
In terms of machinery, Lorraine picked up most of her mechanical knowledge at home. Before she started her job in Clonakilty, Lorraine took a month out this summer to help out with the silage and spuds at home.
“I enjoy the contracting, but this year was a tough year for us. We pulled a few all-nighters but when it rains the next day you feel it is worth it. It was break-start silage and the weather puts pressure on everything. There is such a short few weeks to get the work done now.
“We all love the silage in a way but at home we discuss it at breakfast, dinner and even when you’re watching TV in the evenings. Sometimes there can be no break from it. That’s the joys of it when you’re the boss’s daughter.”
Now though, Lorraine is based in Clonakilty from Monday to Friday. Over the summer she was teaching some 60 students doing the distance-learning course. As it’s her first year on the job, Lorraine has her work cut out for her preparing material for students.
“I’ve been going into work early in the morning and leaving late in the evening. Prep time is huge in the first year, preparing lectures and assessments. It’s quite full on to get ahead of myself. The first year is always the worst, I’ve got great help from those in Clonakilty and in Kildalton.”
You’re not on your own, but I definitely think we should be encouraging more women
Being a woman, teaching agricultural mechanics, Irish Country Living was interested to hear Lorraine’s thoughts on women in the machinery space.
“You’re not on your own, but I definitely think we should be encouraging more women. Down my area there are more girls driving tractors than ever before, I think it will take a while before it’s normalised. There are more and more girls driving and doing ag courses.
“Last year, there were seven [girls] in the advanced dairy class. In the college in Clonakilty we have female admin, teaching, catering and yard staff. There is a good representation there but we are a long way off equal numbers.”
Sinead Foley
Tralee IT
Sinead Foley is studying ag mechanics at Tralee IT.
Sinead Foley is from a beef farm in Dungarvan, Co Waterford. She has just started her third year of agricultural engineering in Tralee IT.
“I always had an interest in making stuff. I came across the ag engineering course in Tralee and decided that was for me. I went to an all-girls school so metalwork wasn’t an option for me for the Leaving Cert. They told me to do physics instead. All the boys going into my year in Tralee had metalwork done. There are 13 of us and I’m the only girl in my year.
“From the end of January to May this [academic] year we’ll be on placement. We have practical classes, maths, physics and electrics. I’m definitely taken seriously, all the boys have never had a problem with me there.
“I had some experience in welding from home but other than that the lads know more of the technical kind of things from machines. I’m still learning on that front. My plan is to do my third-year project on a calf crush. I want it to be able to go beside a normal crush, so the cow and calf can see each other. I want things to be safe. For me, if I want to handle a calf they are a bit big for me when they are two months old. Having a safe handling system is important.”
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