26-04-2025
Meet the vet who traded sunny Greece for rural Longford
One of County Longford's newest recruits, Greek vet Dimitris Antoniou, speaks fondly about the hospitality he has encountered from farmers in his new position at the local veterinary clinic in Granard.
Antoniou, who hails from a sheep and goat farm in Spercheiada, a remote village on mainland Greece, arrived in Ireland a little over a year ago, after a friend of his who was already working here referred him to a practice in Leitrim with a vacancy.
After two online interviews, Antoniou was offered the position in a large animal practice in the north of the county.
Enamoured by the rolling landscape, the scale of professional pursuits available to large animal vets, and the higher quality of life afforded to professionals here in comparison to his place of birth, Antoniou seized the opportunity to relocate, despite having never previously visited Ireland.
Recounting his decision to move, Antoniou said: 'I was doing a traineeship in Sweden when I discovered a friend of mine from college was working here as a vet.
'I reached out to her via instagram to ask her what life was like here, and she told me it was really nice and easy to find work, because we are in the EU.
'She sent me some photos of animals and of the scenery, and I just thought 'oh yes, that's where I want to be''.
Dimitris Antoniou
In January, the vet moved to Arvagh, Co. Cavan for a new job across the border at his current place of employment, 'Brown's Cross Veterinary Clinic in Granard, Co. Longford.
Starting at the beginning of spring calving and lambing season – the busiest time in a large animal vet's calendar – Antoniou hit the ground running.
Thankfully, the Greek thrived in his new environment, and has relished the various opportunities sent his way.
'The season sometimes can get really crazy, but I like all this calving and lambing, because if you can get a calf or a lamb out alive, there's no greater feeling for a vet,' he said.
A fortnight ago, Antoniou had the pleasure of assisting his first quadruplet pregnancy, which he described as a 'great experience and a great feeling', when a farmer called the clinic seeking help for his ewe who was expecting four lambs.
The Greek man works alongside five other vets and five veterinary assistants at the Granard clinic, whom he has praised for their support and help in making him feel at home.
'I really enjoy working here in Ireland and I'm happy in the clinic. My boss is very nice, the vets and the girls at the office are all very helpful as well. They make life easier when it gets hard with the season,' he asserted.
On the topic of cultural differences, Antoniou noted that Irish farmers have more resources to spend on their animals in comparison to their Greek counterparts, who are not as inclined to invest in veterinary treatment for their livestock due to their financial situation.
This means that there are not as many vacancies for large animal vets in his home country, despite the fact that agriculture remains an integral part of the Greek economy.
'In Greece, because farmers are economically in a bad condition, they would think twice before calling a vet. That's why I wanted to come here to work in Ireland, to gain more experience working with large animals.'
Antoniou has enjoyed his time working alongside Irish farmers, whom he claims have welcomed him and taken great interest in his background, including the reasons behind his move.
'They are very friendly and they treat vets with a lot of respect. The majority always ask 'what are you doing here, why did you come to Ireland, you don't miss the weather in Greece?' The last question is the one I get the most,' he laughed.
While he misses the sunshine and warm temperatures that are synonymous with his motherland, Antoniou has become accustomed to the rain, which he admitted 'isn't so bad after a while'.
