“People would be of the impression that it would be tough farming and playing football but from my point of view, I couldn’t do anything else.”
That’s according to the Monaghan inter-county footballer and dairy farmer – Darren Hughes who usually has to balance the challenging demands of being a top inter-county footballer with the labour intensive nature of farming.
It may be demanding on a daily basis but Hughes says he would not have it any other way.
Hughes and his father, Francis, milk a herd of 105 cows on a 50ha farm in Ballinode, Co. Monaghan.
“I’m lucky that I have Dad here, he’s around to let me be away when needs be,” Hughes told Agriland.
He should have been gearing up this week for Monaghan’s clash against Louth in the GAA Football All Ireland Championship group 4 round 2 at St. Tiernach’s Park, Co. Monaghan tomorrow (Sunday, June 2).
Instead the county footballer and Scotstown midfielder is currently out of action with a ruptured Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and fractured tibia.
But this has not slowed Hughes down on the family farm and he has been kept more than busy with spring calving and silage.
Inter-county football
There are many that would claim that inter-county football is nearly a full time job in itself.
It requires on average three training sessions during the week, a game at the weekend and the mandatory gym work that is required for the physicality to play at that level.
For some the challenge of balancing a demanding training and playing schedule with a full time farming operation would be hard to balance.
Hughes, aged 37, has no complaints but admits that life can be unpredictable when you least need it to be.
He said: “I can be ready to leave the house at 6:00pm some evenings and there’s four or five cows ready to calve but management are pretty understanding.
“Some evenings you don’t be there on time or you don’t make it all.”
According to Hughes he has a very understanding manager in Vinnie Corey, who two years ago took up the role of Monaghan senior football manager.
He said Corey is very considerate of the demands of being a full time dairy farmer and understands the impact this can have on training requirements.
Hughes is the eldest son in his family and would have done many of the more traditional jobs on the farm when he was growing up.
Today he is a big fan of on-farm technology that can make life a bit easier for both him and his dad.
“We have an automatic calf feeder in at the minute so we probably embrace the technology side of things.
“It helps with the flexibility and trying to work around farming, football, family and everything to make sure you’re getting that balance right,” Hughes said.
They installed a robot in 2013, and one again in 2019 which has helped to reduced some of the workload for both his father and him.
Dairy farming
Hughes, who completed his level 6 green cert in Ballyhaise, would like to see more people from outside the world of dairy farming become “more educated” about what it entails.
“There’s a misconception about dairy farmers at the minute,” he said.
He also believes that current milk prices do not reflect the work and effort that dairy farmers put in every day, 365 days a year.
“The costs are spiralling out of control,” Hughes warned.
But for at least 70 minutes from 3:30p.m. tomorrow afternoon he will not be thinking about the jobs that are waiting for him on the farm or the 105 cows that he has to milk.
Instead for Hughes all eyes will be on St. Tiernachs Park and his only thoughts will be about winning against Louth.