Cork dairy farmer is first female winner of FBD Young Farmer of the Year
The winner of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2025 is Aileen Sheehan, a dairy farmer from Blarney in Co Cork.
Cork farmer Aileen Sheehan has been named the 2025 FBD Young Farmer of the Year, the first female winner in the competition’s history.
Ms Sheehan is a dairy farmer in Cork on a 100% leased farm. She milks 140 cows and is managing 28 in-calf heifers and 24 replacement calves.
She began farming in December 2021 after leasing a dairy unit in Whitechurch, purchasing a herd and starting milk supply.Â
In 2023, she introduced her own heifers and now runs the enterprise with her husband while also raising their six-month-old baby.
The farm is supported by three part-time staff — Sarah, Aoife, and Tadgh — and has a strong focus on sustainability.
Alongside farming, Aileen teaches PE and maths, while her husband also serves in the Army.Â
The couple also won the Dairygold Milk Quality and Sustainability Award in 2024.
Addressing the crowd at the ceremony, Ms Sheehan said: "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," pushing the importance of women being visible in the agricultural sector.
Macra national president Josephine O'Neill said: "History is made as we announce the first female winner of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year awards.Â
"On behalf of Macra, I’d like to congratulate Aileen Sheehan on her outstanding achievement. Throughout the competition, she has demonstrated her passion for and dedication to agriculture, the environment and her local community.Â
"Aileen is following in the footsteps of many trailblazers in agriculture and will no doubt represent with the title with pride and integrity. Congratulations also to all finalists on representing themselves so well."
FBD Trust chairman Michael Berkery said: "On behalf of the entire FBD team, I extend our congratulations to Aileen Sheehan on this well-deserved award.Â
"The FBD Young Farmer of the Year award is a reflection of Aileen’s unwavering dedication, passion, and hard work.Â
"FBD Insurance is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Macra and the FBD Young Farmer of the Year Awards. We take great pride in supporting initiatives that celebrate the remarkable achievements of young farmers and their vital contributions to the farming community. We hope these awards will continue to inspire the next generation to build strong, sustainable farm businesses for the future."
IFA president Francie Gorman also congratulated all participants, saying: "My hope is that the experience has been positive for you. Having dipped their toe in the water, I would ask this year’s entrants to consider extending their involvement in representing farmers.Â
"Congratulations to all our participants, category winners, and our 2025 FBD Young Farmer of the Year, Aileen Sheehan."
The competition aims to recognise and reward the top young farmers in the country. Entrants are judged according to a number of criteria, including farm business initiative and innovation, levels of farm efficiency and enterprise quality, farm safety and environmental protection awareness, and agricultural knowledge.
Ms Sheehan also secured the Skillnet Biodiversity Award and won the dairy category on the night.
Sarah Kelly, from Sligo, won Best Young Entrant, Tipperary’s Amie Coonan won in the Drystock category, the ‘Land Mobility’ award went to David Heraty from Mayo, Carlow man Brian Fitzpatrick took home the prize for ‘Career Farm Management’, and Isaac Wheelock from Co Wexford was the winner in the ‘Other Enterprises’ category and runner up in the overall competition.
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