Nestled on the coast of the Kingdom county, the well-known Leagh Holsteins herd has been engulfed in a sea of orange.

It all started 12 months ago, when Lauren Fitzmaurice envisaged a unique idea to diversify the farm.

With the help of her parents Tim and Maureen, as well as her fiancé Danny, the Ballybunion Pumpkin Patch came to fruition.

The farm is situated in Cloghane, Ballyduff, Tralee, Co. Kerry, where it overlooks the Atlantic coast and the popular town of Ballybunion, which is where the pumpkin patch gets its name.

The farm also looks over to Loophead lighthouse in Co. Clare, an element which was incorporated into their logo.

With such a scenic location, the aim from day one was always to utilise the view.

Planning

First things first, the family had to map out the farm to create a flowing design that would allow for a fun-filled tour while also showcasing the farm.

The pumpkin patch went in the field with the best view, with Lauren stating: "It's always about the photos."

A corn maize was planned for the same field, but unfortunately the birds had their fill before it opened. The family improvised with bales, which are proving to be a big hit.

Gravel walkways went in, and Danny was put to work with his carpenter skills, building chairs, signs, games, crates, and even decorative coffins, while Lauren did all of the artwork.

A marquee has also being erected, full of games and activities for children in case the weather is poor.

Keeping agriculture in mind, there is also a pet farm on site, with sheep and lambs, goats, chickens, ponies, and of course pedigree calves bred on farm.

On the machinery side, a Massey Ferguson 35 is proving to be a big hit.

Danny won the tractor while the couple were living in Australia, with Lauren stating that it was like was a sign to open the pumpkin patch, so the tractor was shipped home in a container.

A coffee trailer is also available on site, and Behan's Bainne Blasta has been spotted at the the pumpkin patch with their farm fresh milk.

Growing the pumpkins was another challenge in itself, especially considering wind is one of biggest killers of the crop, something there is plenty of in Ballyduff.

Lauren purchased the seed from Holland, before starting them out in her mother's greenhouse, who is an avid gardener.

After some time they went out to the field when they were like big plants.

From there, they had to be regularly fed and monitored.

Lauren noted how mildew is another big killer of pumpkins, especially toward the harvest season at end of September and beginning of October, a time where you could lose a nearly fully developed pumpkin.

The Fitzmaurices also had to navigate the drought, watering the crop as much as they could; although in a sense they are lucky the land is relatively heavy, so the drought was not as harsh as other areas.

The first ever pumpkin crop grown on the farm gave off a lot of smaller pumpkins, but the family is happy with the result as they are easy for kids to carry.

Bigger pumpkins could be awkward as each booking gets a free pumpkin.

The patch has "taken off", with 1,000 tickets sold within 24 hours of going on sale.

As it stands, there is only limited availability left for the week ahead in the build-up to Halloween.

The pumpkin patch was officially opened by Independent Kerry TD, Michael Healy-Rae.

Lauren said it is nice to see all the work from the last year come to fruition, stating it required "a lot of hard work, but we made it work".

Leagh Holsteins

Ballybunion Pumpkin Patch is sure to return in 2027 after such a successful first year, but at the end of the day, the Fitzmaurices' passion will always be pedigree Holsteins.

Lauren is now the third generation to farm under the Leagh Holstein prefix, as Tim's father first registered a Holstein back in 1963.

However, considering the family has not run a herd through a milking parlour since 2007, and the sheds are full of beef stock, it is not exactly your typical dairy farm.

Yet the the Fitzmaurices are still known for breeding some of the most elite pedigree Holsteins in Ireland.

Their system works by travelling to events such as the World Dairy Expo where some of the finest American and Canadian Holsteins are on show.

At these event and through other various channels, the farm buys in embryos from renowned cow families.

They then use suckler cows as recipients, with calves landing on ground over the autumn and winter months, a more than ideal time to suit the new enterprise.

With such valuable stock on farm, strict biosecurity is still at the forefront.

The thousands of visitors will see pedigree animals, but much of the stock is not accessible to the public.

From a young age, Lauren has the calves out on a halter preparing them for the show ring.

The family aims to be on the halter at a handful of shows throughout the year - however, as a new mother this year, Lauren's presence in the ring for the 2026 season was less than usual.

The farm also enters calves in specialised sales, with the black and white sale in Carlisle, England, next on their list for this year.