Building for the Future: The Atkinson Family’s Journey in Generational Renewal

Joe Atkinson

John Atkinson

James Doran

The Atkinson family farm, located in The Ballagh, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, has been farmed by four generations of the same family. Joe Atkinson became owner of the farm in 1982 following the death of his uncle, from whom he inherited the holding.

Today, the approximately 70-hectare farm is entirely in grass and operates a highly productive suckler-to-beef and mid-season sheep enterprise.

Joe and his wife Catherine have four children—three daughters, Colleen, Sheena and Karen, and one son, John. Catherine played a vital role in developing the farm, particularly during the early years after the transfer from Joe’s uncle. Alongside raising their family, she was actively involved in many day-to-day farming tasks.

All four children helped with farm work while growing up, but from an early age John showed a particular interest in farming and was recognised as the likely successor. He remained actively involved in the farm throughout his education and completed his Green Cert at Kildalton College in 2010.

Joe and Catherine encouraged all of their children to pursue further education. Following graduation, John’s three sisters chose to develop careers outside agriculture. Through open family discussions, it became clear that none wished to farm as a full-time career. To recognise their place within the family, it was agreed that each daughter would have the option of a site on the home farm should they wish to build locally in the future.

At the time John completed his Green Cert, the farm operated a weanling-to-beef system, with young bull finishing alongside a mid-season ewe flock. Together, Joe and John reviewed the long-term direction of the business and decided to establish a suckler herd.

The move offered several advantages. Purchasing large numbers of weanlings each year required significant working capital, whereas developing a suckler herd provided a more sustainable production system while creating opportunities for the next generation to become fully involved in the business.

In 2016, John was added to the herd number, creating what is commonly known as a joint herd number. This allowed him to qualify for the Young Farmers Scheme that was available at the time.

A year later, Joe and John formalised their working relationship by establishing a registered farm partnership. The partnership clearly defined labour and profit-sharing arrangements while enabling the business to benefit from enhanced TAMS grant aid and valuable tax reliefs available to registered partnerships.

The transition to a suckler enterprise began with 30 cows, with all progeny finished on the farm as steers and heifers. During the expansion phase, additional store heifers were purchased and finished to maintain output while cow numbers gradually increased.

Today, both Joe and John farm full-time together—something that is relatively uncommon on drystock farms. With two full-time labour units available, they made a conscious decision to maximise the productive capacity of the farm. Over the past 15 years, suckler cow numbers have increased to a peak of approximately 95 cows, with all progeny finished on the farm. Male cattle are finished as young bulls, with most slaughtered before 16 months of age, while heifers are finished at 20 to 22 months.

The sheep enterprise has also expanded and now comprises 250 ewes, split lambing with 125 ewes lambing from 1 February and the remainder from 17 March.

As the business has grown, John has progressively taken on greater responsibility for the day-to-day management of the farm. The workload is significant, with the family carrying out all of their own silage making, slurry and fertiliser spreading, farmyard manure application and hedge cutting.

Outside farming, John and his partner Clara have three young children. Balancing a busy farm business with family life requires careful planning, but having two full-time farmers working together provides flexibility to manage workloads while making time for family commitments and taking occasional breaks.

An important milestone came in 2017 when Joe and John purchased an 18-acre parcel of land that they had been renting for 15 years. The land was purchased in John’s name, giving him an ownership stake within the business while also qualifying for the young trained farmer stamp duty exemption, as he was under 35 years of age at the time.

In terms of the remaining farm, Joe intends to transfer ownership to John through his will, hopefully many years into the future. This decision has been discussed in detail with both the family’s solicitor and accountant, ensuring that everyone understands the agreed succession plan and their respective positions.

Joe remains actively involved in the day-to-day running of the farm and has no immediate plans to step back. As a result, both father and son are committed to continuing their registered farm partnership for the foreseeable future.

The Atkinsons’ experience highlights that succession is a process rather than a single event. Open communication, gradual transfer of responsibility, formal business structures and professional advice have allowed the family to grow the business while providing certainty for the next generation.

Careful planning is essential to ensure a successful and tax-efficient transfer of farm assets. Professional legal and financial advice should always be sought, and the Succession Planning Advice Grant (SPAG) can help fund this support. John now looks forward to continuing the Atkinson family farming tradition for many years to come.

The above first appeared in Securing the Future of Irish Farms: Approaches for Generation Renewal (PDF), produced as part of Teagasc Generational Renewal Week 2026.