Zoe grew up in the farming community of Ballyfin, Co. Laois, and now lives in Ballina, Co. Mayo, with her partner Michael, where they primarily operate a dairy farm, retain all youngstock to finish, and run a small sheep flock.
Zoe graduated with a BAgrSc in 2015 and completed her PhD in dairy production in 2019, both from University College Dublin (UCD). Following a period in industry as a Ruminant Technical Specialist for Phileo UK and Ireland, Zoe returned to UCD. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Grass and Forage Science in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD. In this role, Zoe lectures on and coordinates modules mainly in the areas of grassland production and management and is Programme Director for the undergraduate degree programme in Dairy Business. Zoe is actively involved in research and leads a grassland research programme at UCD Lyons Farm with the Systems Dairy Herd, which examines the development of a higher-output, grass-based spring milk production system.
Her research focuses on increasing the sustainability and resilience of grass and forage production systems, with a particular interest in the adaptation of grassland systems to climate change. Active research areas and publications include the role of the herb plantain in increasing nitrogen use efficiency, the agronomic suitability of perennial ryegrass/red clover silage swards, alternative species swards, and strategies to improve grassland performance, quality and sustainability. Zoe was also a founding committee member of Dairy Women Ireland (DWI) and is now Secretary to the Board of DWI. In 2025, Zoe was awarded a Nuffield Ireland Scholarship, which enabled her to undertake extensive international travel and research on the topic, “Future Grasslands: Building Resilience Through Adaptation to Climate Change.”
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