It’s been a full year since I was chatting to ye all, and can you believe I am still looking for phone coverage for Christmas – we will be a while waiting yet for anyone to do anything about that.

You might recognise me from the telly two years ago; I was on The Late Late Toy Show with my friend Patrick Kielty. We had great craic and I got to test out the toys. I was on the cover of last year’s Irish Farmers Journal Junior, and I am back again to fill ye in on what I’ve been up to since.

The big red bucket I got from the Irish Farmer’s Journal last year is getting great use, I can tell ye. I’d take another one if they’d give it to me – hint, hint editor! It’s a good size for feeding the chickens and horses.

I’ve been keeping a low profile over the last while as we have been so busy with school and country life, but we are going to the Spancil Hill Horse Fair at the end of June. I did take a trip up to the big smoke a few months ago and recorded a video with Allianz Ireland for their ‘Stop the Drop’ campaign, chatting to different players like Cian McBride and Pat Spillane about playing sports. Croke Park was a long way from home, and the size of that pitch is massive. I love seeing it on the telly so it was great to see it with my own eyes.

School has been going alright, you know yourself. I am in second class and just about to finish for the summer.

Communion

I made my communion there on 17 May, the communion tasted like a wafer – I was expecting a chocolate button or something. We planned a trip for after the communion and we’re just home from Legoland. I can tell ye lads, it was absolutely class.

I have also recently bought three new ponies. Last year, I was still riding around on my Shetland pony, Frosty. She is still going grand, but is getting a bit old and slow. So I passed her down to my sister Croídha, as she is six and a better age for her – she is getting good mileage out of her.

I was in Clifden at a Connemara sale and picked up three new ponies – one on the first day and two on the second day. I had communion money I was going to spend, but I left it at home on the day by accident.

One of them is called Hazel, the second one is JD, and we don’t have a name for the third one yet.

Sheamie with his sisters Críodha and Eada.

For Christmas, Croídha asked for two Pygmy goats but she had to settle for a minature Jack Russell instead. She called her Tiny. We got rid of the goats we used to have, as they jumped into the car and stood on the gearbox – they had gone mad.

Eggcellent business

I’m keeping busy selling eggs at my granny’s garden centre in Ennistymon for €3 a box. I had 30 hens the last time I was chatting to ye, and that business is booming. We have about 20 eggs a day.

We can’t keep the eggs in stock, so we have bought some new hens and I have handed some of the responsibilities to Croídha, who loves the poultry.

Her favourite hen is her bantam, and she is patiently waiting for chickens to hatch at the moment.

She is very clever as she has realised you can buy different eggs online and hatch them at home, so she’s hoping Daddy will buy her an incubator on Amazon.

Críodha’s favourite thing to do at the moment is watch the mother of the eggs to see if they are hatching yet.

Eada, my younger sister, is now two and a half. She is chatting away and running after the two puppies around the house.

For any of the new Rising Rural Stars, I’d tell them to keep it country lads and don’t forget where you come from.