Jessica Harrington ( 42) from Co Kildare is one of Ireland’s most successful horse trainers. She says:

“There weren't many women around when I started training horses professionally and I got the feeling that the men wondered what I thought I was doing.

“I had a young family and there was always this feeling that they thought I should be at home minding them. Nothing was ever said, but I wasn't seen as one of them.

“Little things annoyed me. I remember being in the steward's room and normally the jockeys and trainers all stood, but I was offered a chair. Little things like that were irritating when I started off.

“I just ignored it and carried on. I never rose to it and it just made me more determined to succeed. After a while I think they accepted that I wasn't going away.

“Now I think it's more of a level playing field, because whether you're a man or a woman, it's not easy for anyone in the business at the moment with the economy the way it is.”

“I'm one of four female truckers in a team of about 40.

“It's rare to get so many, especially in an Irish or Northern Irish company. In the UK no one gives a female trucker a second glance, but they do here.

“I remember dropping a load off once and the man at the other end actually asked me if I needed any help parking the lorry!

“I'd spent my childhood messing with cars, and always knew I wanted to drive.

“On my 21st birthday I had my HGV theory test booked, but getting a job driving was tough enough.

“I had one job interview where they let me answer all the questions before saying ‘ this isn't a job for a woman', which was disappointing but, I have to say, it's not an attitude I've encountered a lot.

“I think you don't get a lot of women in the job because some of them have a bit of a mental block about it. Maybe they don't think they could handle a lorry and, to be honest, it's not the most glamorous job.

“If it's between sitting in an office or coming home covered in oil and grease then a lot of people, men too, will go for the office.”