Denise & Robert Hennessy Family Farm Open Day

📅 Date: Tuesday, 29th July 2025
🕛 Time: From 12:00 noon
📍 Location: Hennessy Family Farm, Kilkieran, Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny
 Eircode: R95 CDD7

One Year On: A New Entrant’s Robotic Milking Journey

Learn how the Hennessy family transformed their suckler and sheep farm into a fully robotic dairy operation — all while managing a challenging hillside farm and working off-farm.

One year in, Robert shares the highs and lows of making the switch: Did it pay off? What did it take? And what’s next for the farm?

This Open Day is especially relevant to new entrants and those exploring conversion, providing a realistic look at what robotic dairying can offer — from infrastructure and finance to herd performance and return on investment.

Key Topics Covered

- Robotic Milking: Setup, retrofit design, and lessons from Year One
- Ownership Costs: System costs, grants, and financing a retrofit
- New Entrants: From sucklers to dairy — building a plan that works
- Return on Investment: Real performance vs national averages
- Lely Support: How advice and training made the switch possible
- Grazing & Infrastructure: Managing grass on a hillside farm with robots
- Herd Performance: Milk yield, herd health, and work-life balance
- Herd Genetics: Breeding strategy and EBI-focused planning

Special Guest Speakers

We’re pleased to welcome expert insights from Teagasc, Tirlán and Progressive Genetics who will join us on the day.

Guided Farm Tours & Live Q&A

Visitors will be guided in small groups around the farm to explore the robotic milking system, grazing infrastructure, and farmyard setup.

📲 Text 087 749 5136 to RSVP & confirm lunch — All welcome!