I'm from a town called Ballyare just outside Letterkenny in Donegal. I never rode a horse until I was 13 years of age. Just out of pure boredom during Covid-19, I walked up to my uncle's place where he had a few point-to-pointers and different things, and I got up on one and that was it. I've never looked back since then. Donegal is becoming a more popular area for jockeys. Even when you go back home now, you see younger kids going to riding schools, so it is definitely becoming more popular.

Once I learned the basics, a man called Johnny Holian took me on. I used to go to him in the mornings before school and I used to ride in pony races for Adrian Browne who would be Dylan Browne McMonagle's uncle. Every morning before school, I would go down and ride one or two and then go to school and then go back up to the uncle. Then every Sunday we would go off around Ireland. I was very lucky that my parents were very supportive and never questioned why I was going there. That's just how I got going.