Niall Claffey, from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, is the newest member to join AgriLand – taking up a role in its growing technical team.
The University College Dublin (UCD) graduate takes up the position of technical news journalist at a a vibrant time for the company. His appointment is just one of the number of impressive announcements made by Ireland’s largest agricultural news publisher in recent days.
Niall joins the team at both a challenging and exciting time for the Irish farming sector. At AgriLand, the Mullingar native will have a particular focus on the dairy and beef sectors.
Hailing from an agricultural background, he is involved in the running of a suckler farm in his home county. He graduated from UCD with a degree in Animal and Crop Production in 2013.
Along with hands-on knowledge here in Ireland, Niall has significant experience in the international agricultural industry. Prior to his appointment at AgriLand, he had gained valuable experience in New Zealand, Australia and France.
During his time in UCD, he travelled to New Zealand as part of his Professional Work Experience; gaining valuable knowledge on a property extending over 2,700ha.
Upon finishing his degree in UCD, Niall travelled to Australia where he managed a large-scale beef enterprise. The feedlot consisted of predominantly purebred Angus cattle from the Great Southern regions of Western Australia – between 1,000 and 1,200 cattle could be found in the feedlot at any one time. These cattle were born and bred on the farm, before entering the feedlot.
During his stint in Australia, he partook in sowing and harvesting for a season where he operated a wide range of machinery.
When Niall eventually returned home, he took up a position with Liffey Meats; he worked at the Ballyjamesduff site. He also spent some months in France working for the company and learning the French language.
Apart from his passion for farming, Niall has a keen interest in all sports; he has a particular passion for both hurling and football.