Welcome back on my journey with the Junior Farmers International Exchange to Ireland, Part 2! This blog post features week 2 of the 3-week exchange. Buckle in for another whirlwind of hosts and activities! This week featured a special competition, once which if you have the opportunity to go on this exchange, make sure you sign up for the Queen of the Castle. It is a great leadership and social experience!
Day 8: August 1, 2025
We said goodbye to Kelsey and boarded the train from Athlone to Portarlington then transferred to a train stopping in Portlaoise. From there Linda, the Switzerland delegate, and I were picked up by Macra Staff to be dropped off at our next host family location, for Queen of the Castle hosted by Rathkeevin Macra. We actually stayed in the hotel which was nice to be in a central location to all of the events. This is a 3-day event filled with team building, interviews and socials and was so much fun. The activities included:
- Meet fellow Queens at Cahir House Hotel for tea (there was 22 contestants from across Ireland, including international queens from New Zealand and Canada)
- Private tour of Cahir Castle
- A cannon ball is sticking out of one of the walls up high
- Team building activities at Harney’s Final Furlong, Clerihan
- Build the tallest free-standing tower out of paper and tape, only using one hand each
- Walk in a line with balloons in between without dropping or popping
- Human knot
- Who can Remember the most interesting facts about another queen in under a minute
- Cocktail making at Barne Lodge, Rathkeevin
- This was very cool; we used a fog gun and lit a sugar cube on fire! Mocktails too
- Moloney’s Pub Poulmucka social
- Lots of singing and group comradery
- Tipsy Tavern Trail in Cahir Town
- Honouring all of the generous sponsors and getting photos
- County Colours Disco dance in Cahir House Hotel Ballroom
- Everyone wore their club shirts
- Queens private interviews with the judges
- Lunch at the shamrock lounge (3 course meal) – was s good, recommend!
- Line Dancing workshop (I even knew one of them from back home)
- Dart tournament at the hill Inn (watched the champion matched then played a round and won at the end with a bullseye
- On stage interviews
- Not as scary as you might think! I did a ballon flower as my talent, I got the bell but I finished it shortly after, also note I wasn’t the longest on stage!
- Music by The Fogues & DJ Steve
- Pilates with Ruth (this was a real workout!)
- Family Fun Day
- All queens come up with a game or way to raise money for charity. I had a balloon animal stall which was well enjoyed by all (most expensive balloon was a lion someone gave me 5 euro for)
- Krazy Karaoke at Irwin’s Yard
- All of the queens participated and we even did a group number, I performed my go to Don’t Stop Believing
- Coronation Banquet (4 course meal)
- Wow the support of the clubs was next to none! They all came with huge decorated posters with glitter and everything to show their support for their Queens. I was wondering where my Canada support poster was!
- Music by The Bentley Boys
- Winner announced at 12am
- Congratulations to Katie Hurley from Carbery Macra, county Cork
- Farewell Breakfast
- Private tour of Ballykeefe Distillery (this was my favourite of distillery of the trip!)
- We sampled the spirits, bottled and labelled Sloe Gin that we got to take home, signed
- Had homemade burgers and fries
- Went bowling with their Macra club in Kilkenny then walked around the town with Sarah Ging (daughter of distillery/club member)
- Went to Josephine’s moms house and learned how to make brown bread (which we took with us to our next hosts) (both Josephine and her mom are home economics teachers, so excellent chefs)
- Visited Nicholas Mosse Pottery (very expensive but beautiful)
- Moth to Flame Candles
- Kilkenny Castle Park
- Sustainable Dairy
- 246 acres, 250 cows, rotary milker, calf in feb/march, Irish market, feed barley,
- White clover
- Use milk for soft cheese and milk soap
- Met Willy our next host, works in forestry
- Toured his 100 acres spruce trees
- Harvested at 35-45 years old, depending on growth
- 20 acres are natural forest, used for teaching kids (short school sessions)
- Met his horse Suzie
- 40 limousine/charollais cows
- Toured his 100 acres spruce trees
- Cliffs of Moher
- Doolin for lunch – West coast Ireland
- The Burren Scenic Drive Coastal View
- Black head Lighthouse
- Poulnabrone Dolmen geopark site – Portal Tomb
- Fanore Viewpoint
- Lisdoonvarna – willy mentioned it’s known for the Matchmaking festival
- Katrina Power Milking
- 54 cows, kiwi cross Friesen ,1800L every 2 days
- Got our hands dirty helping milk and feed some calves
- Willy dropped Linda and I off at the Royal Botanical Gardens
- Walked through neighbourhood (really got our steps in over 24,000)
- Dubilina Viking History
- Ice cream
- Temple bar walk
- Jim of the Mills
- Willy’s cousins bar, singing in all different rooms, amazing atmosphere and community gathering
