Farming and the GAA have gone hand-in-hand for years with legendary players such as Damien Hayes, Liam Harnan, Noel Hickey and Timmy McCarthy having balanced the two.
They are a rarer breed nowadays with a 2020 GPA survey of 2491 players revealing in 2020 that only 45 worked in agriculture, which is as little as 1.8%.
A member of the Down panel in 2023, Eugene Branagan of Kilcoo couldn't commit in 2024 due to his work commitments as a sheep farmer.
On the week of the National Ploughing Championships, we give a shout-out to our GAA-playing farmers.
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Nine GAA farmers still lining out for their counties
Darren Hughes (Monaghan)
Hughes is a dairy farmer, milking in the region of 100 cows. He has played for Monaghan for the last 18 years, balancing farming and Gaelic football.
David McInerney (Clare)
McInerney is a teacher but helps out on the family farm in Tulla, where his father Jim milks over 100 cows. He has played for Clare since 2013, winning two All-Irelands.
James Carr (Mayo)
The Mayo footballer farms suckler cows and sheep on the family's 100-acre mixed drystock farm in Ardagh, along with his father Martin.
Ciara Ryan (Tipperary)
The Tipperary camogie player farms sucklers and sheep on a 97-acre farm in Templederry. She was on the Tipperary team that won the All-Ireland junior camogie title this year.
John Heslin (Westmeath)
The St Loman's club-man is a part-time beef farmer, having done his PhD in heifer reproduction.
His career is also in agriculture as a Global Strategic Marketing Manager for MSD Animal Health. He has represented Westmeath since 2011, winning the Tailteann Cup in 2022.
Jack O'Connor (Wexford)
O'Connor is a colleague of Heslin's, working full-time for MSD.
He plays for the Wexford senior hurling team, winning the Leinster championship in 2019.
Aine Lacey (Wexford)
The Wexford dual player milks over 100 cows and also has barley and maize.
Jimmy Feehan (Tipperary)
Feehan farms in partnership with his parents in Killenuale, Tipperary, where they milk over 100 cows.
He was a defender on the Tipperary team that won the Munster championship in 2020.
Padraic Harnan (Meath)
The Meath defender works on a dairy farm in Moynalvey with his uncle Liam, milking close to 150 cows.
Liam won All-Irelands for Meath in '87 and '88 as a dairy farmer.
Padraic has played for Meath since 2015 and was centre-back on the team that won the Tailteann Cup in 2023.
Daire Cregg (Roscommon)
The Boyle club man studies Dairy Business in UCD and gives a hand on the farm back home, rearing heifers.
