More than 700 students from 15 post primary schools across County Tipperary attended the inaugural Coolmore Careers Day April 10.
Held in association with Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School, the event saw students take the opportunity to explore dozens of farming, trade, and professional career paths on their doorstep dedicated to bloodstock, farming, tourism, hospitality, and associated sectors. Participating schools hailed from Fethard, Clonmel, Cahir, Cashel, Thurles, Ballingarry, and Kilsheelan.
The students also had the opportunity to visit Coolmore and view the stallion yard along with mares and foals in their paddocks.
The event showcased a range of careers in these sectors, drawing on real-life examples from Coolmore. In addition to the global stud operation, the racing arm in Ballydoyle, and farming enterprise, the group has several local interests in the tourism and hospitality sector. The Cashel Palace Hotel and its Michelin-starred restaurant along with Mikey Ryan's are all in Cashel, while 2024 saw the opening of Sadler's Restaurant & Bar in Fethard.
As a result, Coolmore directly employs more than 1,300 staff whose families live and work in the region.
Farriers and tradespeople also did live demonstrations and each office-based discipline had a stall staffed by a member of the Coolmore team, showcasing the wide range of careers available across these industries. Stalls were also hosted by the University of Limerick, Kildalton Agricultural College, Gurteen Agricultural College, and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Enterprise in Northern Ireland.
Billy Walsh, principal of Fethard Patrician Presentation Secondary School, said: "Bloodstock, farming, and tourism are the lifeblood of Co Tipperary and we are blessed to have Coolmore and Ballydoyle on our doorstep. Farming and bloodstock are two of the major employers in this region and they also support tourism, heritage, sustainable communities, and our environment.
"Today's visit shows that whether a student is considering a Solas apprenticeship, agricultural college, or university, there are careers to suit all interests and talents, and that's something to celebrate."
Tom Lynch, Coolmore's farm manager, added: "Each year Coolmore employs numerous apprentices and graduates who cut their teeth working with some of the best in the industry. We wanted to showcase to these students the array of opportunities they have on their doorstep. It's obviously important for young people to travel and get an education, but we want them to know there is a wide array of rewarding jobs—some of them very high-powered—if they choose to return to the community they grew up in.
"At Coolmore we are privileged to be part of a bloodstock industry that supports a €2.46 billion economic impact nationally and over 30,000 jobs. Tipperary also has a distinction of being one of the counties with the lowest outbound work commutes. That says a lot about sustainable communities and work-life balance."
He added: "As well as the large number of people who work directly with the horses, constant growth means we also require plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. Office staff include accountants, IT, marketing, and health and safety staff.
"Farming and gardening provide a large number of roles including agricultural mechanics while the hospitality end of things also offers a wide range of careers options. We'd love to see this event growing from strength to strength, as a showcase for the much broader farming and bloodstock sector."
