Saoirse Ní Ghallachóir on why a day on the farm during spring can be so special
As the cold and harsh winter defrosts into spring, life and chaos on the farm expand each day, and fields that once lay quiet under frost now burst with energy, as every kind of ewe brings new life into the world.
With twins and triplets arriving each day, there seems to be no end in sight for the farmers, whose days grow longer and busier with each sunrise.
On the other hand, the locals of Killymasny have the sweetest views of spring lambs surrounding them, stretching their legs, and the crowd doubling each week (and perhaps the noise too!)
It wasn’t long before my cousin Meabh Connolly and I caught wind of the excitement. A simple message from my father, Shaun Gallagher, telling us that new lambs had been born, was all it took.
Any thoughts of school quickly faded into the background as we pleaded our case for a day off. Before long, we found ourselves pulling on wellies and old scrubs, barely able to contain our excitement as we ran down the field, eager to catch a glimpse—and maybe even catch one of the lambs themselves.
For Meabh, who lives in Belfast, where the countryside feels far away, especially with the pressure of her GCSEs, these moments are especially treasured. Any opportunity to come to Donegal is one she never passes up. Whether it’s lending a helping hand or simply soaking in the scenery (or a spice bag!), she embraces every part of farm life with enthusiasm—even the less glamorous bits that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Meabh and I have often shared how much we wish to live closer to each other, but as we grow older, we realise that our time apart makes these days and weekends together so much more memorable and exciting.
Meabh is all smiles as she gets to hold a new born lamb.
It didn’t take us long to choose our favourites among the new arrivals. Each lamb had its own personality—some shy and hesitant, others bouncy and curious. After spending time watching them, we began to notice a few similarities between ourselves and our chosen lambs, laughing at how strangely fitting they seemed.
We spent hours wandering through the luscious green Glenswilly landscape, the kind of green that only seems to appear in Ireland in springtime. The air was fresh, the sky as blue as could be.
On one particular stroll, feeling full of energy and perhaps a bit too confident, we decided to race the field. It started with laughter and playful shouts, but quickly ended with me slipping and landing on my rear! As I lay there, half-stunned and half-laughing, I could have sworn I heard a nearby lamb let out a cheeky bleat—as if it were laughing right along with us.
We laughed until our sides ached, the kind of laughter that leaves you breathless before making our way down the fields with muddy clothes and big smiles.
We made our way down to my great auntie and uncle’s house. Annamae and James were waiting patiently for a game of cards, and we shared our story, to which they cheered.
Days like these—simple yet meaningful, and a little bit chaotic—are what make spring on the farm so special.
Saoirse Ní Ghallachóir is a Transition Year student at Coláste Ailigh in Letterkenny and is carrying out her work experience with the Donegal News.