This thesis investigates the context of farming in Ireland, in terms of its impact on farmers' mental wellbeing. International research has highlighted the multitude of potential stressors affecting farmers. Despite the importance of farmers' mental wellbeing for ensuring the future viability of farming, few studies have examined the mental wellbeing of farmers in Ireland. This is all the more important as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus questions of mental wellbeing and the role of occupation in health and wellbeing generally. This thesis draws on data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing to consider psychometric outcomes for farmers relative to a rural, working, non-farmer cohort before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on this, qualitative research methods are employed to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped life for farmers in Ireland. Findings indicate that while the disruptions in pre- pandemic patterns of life were distressing, farmers adapted through new practices and found psychological support in the continuities of farming life. This thesis argues for conceptualising farming as a therapeutic landscape with physical, social, and emotional dimensions, which farmers draw on to support positive mental wellbeing. In conclusion, it is argued that economic processes of farm consolidation and challenges in farm succession will place strain on the social landscape of farming.