Ballyforan’s Rachel is 'living the dream' as she prepares for Rose of Tralee final

Home Economics lecturer and farming influencer Rachel Hastings, from Ballyforan, will represent Roscommon in this year's Rose of Tralee.

With a following of over 19,000 on their family farm Instagram page ‘Keeping up with the Hastings’,’Dáithí Ó Sé should expect to learn much about the trials and tribulations of beef, sheep and suckler farming in south Roscommon.

The 27-year-old credits her farming interest to her parents, Monica Hastings (nee O’Reilly) and Claude Hastings, both of whom grew up on farms in County Cavan.

She fondly remembers baking with her Granny Kitty in Cavan. Her grandmother’s skills as a “great chef and knitter” were passed on to Rachel, as she watched in awe as her grandmother knit a cardigan for her and all of her cousins. Here, her interest in home economics was nurtured.

“Teaching was always something I wanted to do and home economics was always something I wanted to do.

“Home economics was always something ingrained in me.”

“I absolutely love it,” Rachel, who is now a full time lecturer in the School of Home Economics in ATU St Angela’s in Sligo, said.

She is currently completing a PhD in ‘Education for Sustainable and Responsible Living’ which looks at the Junior cycle curriculum in home economics.

“I’ve always had a passion for teaching and sharing my knowledge with others,” she said.

Bringing her interest in Home Economics back to basics, Rachel is interested in how cuts of meat come to the plate, or how milk is brought to the table and is keen to share this knowledge with the rest of the world.

“Another hat I wear, other than the lecturing, is that I am very heavily involved on my family farm in Ballyforan.

“I always say to my students in college, agriculture is the basis of even home economics because without the farmer you don’t have your cuts of meat.”

Both working in the education sector, Rachel and her sister Miriam launched ‘Keeping up with the Hastings’ during the COVID-19 pandemic for education and entertainment purposes.

“We set up an Instagram page to spread positivity during the pandemic and we posted and shared stories each and every day showing the positive side of life at that time but also in relation to the farming world.”

They also posted “tips and tricks” for fellow farmers and responded to messages from others, one of which was from a follower whose father had Covid.

“They actually messaged us to ask us questions,” she said.

“It’s a real life experience of what we do on the farm,” summarised Rachel.

The sisters have spoken at various events representing women in farming, which is something Rachel is keen to push in the Dome.

“I am proud to say that I am from the farming community and I am proud to be a woman in agriculture,” she said.

The former Roscommon GAA player grew up watching the Rose of Tralee, reading the contestants bios the night before and watching the competition with pen and paper in hand, taking note of Roses who presented themselves well.

“We would have bought it [the RTE Guide] well in advance,” she explained, adding that herself, her mother and sister pored over the Rose pages.

“We would have watched it intently, there wouldn’t have been a sound in the house when we were watching it.

“The teacher in me would write down the points or some of the good points that I would have liked about each of the Roses.”

A spectator in the dome up until now, having went to the competition a few times, Rachel looks forward to standing beside Dáithí looking over the audience this year.

“I’m so delighted and honoured and privileged to represent Roscommon.

“I’m living the dream,” she said.