Shane farms with his family on the Burren’s limestone landscape in the west of Ireland. Such a unique landscape requires a unique way of farming, and Shane uses traditions that have been passed down through many generations of Burren farmers, maintaining the critical symbiotic relationship between farming and conservation in this part of the world. Shane studied Agriculture and Environmental Science in University College Dublin, and undertook his masters in Rural Development, recognizing that the conservation of landscapes like the Burren required supporting the people who live and work there. Shane is a Director of a local landscape charity, the Burrenbeo Trust, and a self-published children’s author of dyslexia-friendly books about Irish wildlife. He has also worked as a Agricultural Adviser, Biodiversity Officer, UNESCO Biosphere Coordinator, and currently as a Parks Superintendent in Dublin City, splitting his time between work, farming and writing.. In a unique farming landscape, Shane farms using unique traditions passed down through many generations of Burren farmer.
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Lessons from the “Poor Man’s Cow”
Shane has been busy with the next generation on and off the farm too, visiting schools with a herd of Old Irish Goats. Once a common sight in the Irish countryside, this rare native breed is helping to revive a cultural heritage that has lessons to teach us today, on biodiversity, wildfire management, and the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next.
February 20, 2026
Letter From The Farm | Restoring Nature, Improving Productivity
For millennia, farmers in the Burren have played a central role in supporting the rich biodiversity and cultural heritage of the region.
July 12, 2023
Letter From The Farm | Winterage In The Burren
We’re back on Shane Casey’s farm in the Burren, Ireland, where it’s nearly time for the reverse transhumance cattle drive – or ‘winterage’ as it’s known locally.
January 31, 2022
Letter From The Farm | Welcome To The Burren
Traditions are passed down through many generations of Burren farmers to maintain the critical symbiotic relationship between farming and conservation. In his first Letter From The Farm, Shane takes us through farming in the Burren, past and present.
July 12, 2021
