FBD Young Farmer of the Year 2025
The 2025 FBD Young Farmer of the Year Awards were held on the 9th of September in the Killashee Hotel, in Naas, Co. Kildare. Aileen Sheehan, a Dairy Farmer from Cork, took home the overall prize on the night.
The evening also saw a number of additional category winners:
- Sarah Kelly, from Sligo, was awarded Best Young Entrant
- The Skillnet Biodiversity Award went to our eventual winner Aileen Sheehan
- Aileen also won the Dairy Category
- Tipperary's Amie Coonan won the Drystock category
- The Land Mobility award went to David Heraty of Mayo
- Carlow man Brian Fitzpatrick took home the prize for Career Farm Management
- Isaac Wheelock, from Wexford, was the winner in the Other Enterprises category
- Isaac was also the Runner Up in the competition
Josephine O'Neill, Macra National President said, "History is made as we announce the first female winner of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year awards. 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. 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."
The FBD Young Farmer of the Year Awards in association with Macra, are sponsored annually by FBD and run by Macra in partnerships with the IFA and Macra Agricultural Skillnet. The competition was launched in 1999 and has been successful in raising the profile of young farmers within their community by recognising their achievements and contribution to farming.
The competition features category awards for Dairy, Drystock (Beef and Sheep), Other Enterprises (including Horticulture, Pigs, Poultry, Tillage, Equine, Forestry, etc.), Land Mobility (including Collaborative Arrangements, Shared Milking, Contract Rearing, etc.) and Career Farm Management. Young farmers in these sectors are invited to enter. The winner in each sector will compete to be crowned the FBD Young Farmer of the Year. There are also awards for Best Young Entrant (under 23 years of age) and the Macra Agricultural Skillnet Biodiversity Award.
The competition features exciting prizes. The overall prize fund includes a pot of cash prizes along with FBD insurance and hotel vouchers for category winners. The overall winner of the FBD Young Farmer of the Year Award will receive €5000, with each category winner and the Best Young Entrant Farmer taking home €1000. The Macra Agricultural Skillnet Biodiversity Award winner will receive €500.
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Previous FBD Young Farmer of the Year Winners
- 2025: Aileen Sheehan
- 2024: Christopher Cahill
- 2023: Dwayne Shiels
- 2022: Christopher Tuffy
- 2021: Owen Ashton
- 2020: Dara Kileen
- 2019: Liam Hanrahan
- 2018: Daniel Hawthorne
- 2017: PJ O Keefe
- 2016: Kevin Moran
- 2015: Jonathan Marry
- 2014: Sean O Donnell
- 2013: John Buckley
- 2012: Dermott O Connor
- 2011: Kevin Heavin
- 2010: Paul Kehoe
- 2009: William Keane
- 2008: Timothy Quinn
- 2007: Bryan Daniels
- 2006: Eddie O Donnell
- 2005: John McNamara
- 2004: Martin Brosnan
- 2003: Michael Gowing
- 2002: Michael Reidy
- 2001: Andrew Killeen
- 2000: Con O Connell
- 1999: Michael Dee