The fourth and final Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) hustings event gave the two presidential candidates an opportunity to paint their vision of how the organisation will evolve over the coming years.

Dermot Kelleher from west Cork, wants the organisation to grow from the grass roots up.

“That’s how we have managed our affairs in west Cork over the past 30 years and it’s an approach that has worked tremendously well. I see no reason why this strategy cannot be replicated around the country,” he said.

Sean McNamara from Westmeath, believes that ICSA needs a greater input from young people and women.

“Women are the backbone of many farming businesses across Ireland. Their voices should be heard,” he said.

Both men agreed that ICSA is the only farming organisation that has succeeded in putting real money into the pockets of Irish farmers over the past 30 years.

So who are the two presidential candidates?

Sean McNamara is a sheep, suckler and beef farmer from Lismacaffrey in Co. Westmeath. He is married to Eleanor and has four children, all of whom help out on the farm in some way. Sean currently holds the position of ICSA sheep chair.

McNamara is passionate about delivering a fair price to farmers for their produce. He has led many ICSA campaigns and protests in pursuit of achieving at least the cost of production plus a margin for primary producers.

He is a founding member of the Irish Wool Steering Group, which was established by ICSA in response to the total collapse of wool prices during 2020. The group aims to chart a way forward for the Irish wool industry, with a specific focus on increasing the potential of the wool industry sector and increasing the return to sheep farmers for their wool.

McNamara is also an advocate for greater dog controls around livestock, having previously suffered many losses on his farm due to sheep worrying incidents.

Dermot Kelleher is a suckler farmer from Inchigeela in west Cork. He is married to Mary with five adult children. Dermot is a long-standing member of ICSA and served as chair of Cork west ICSA for many years as well as being chair of the association’s suckler committee. He currently holds the position of ICSA vice president for Munster.

Dermot keeps a herd of both pedigree and commercial Charolais. He is well known in the Munster area for hosting lively and informative meeting and events on behalf of ICSA, including many mart events focusing on suckler breeding and genetics.

Dermot is also chair of the Disadvantaged Farmers’ Legal Challenge – Farmers fighting for justice in disadvantaged areas. The group has mounted a case and are currenting battling to overturn fines targeted against farming families on marginal land.

Dermot is also a leading campaigner in defending farmers’ interests when it comes to compensation payments for electricity pylons on farms.

At ICSA’s 25th anniversary celebrations in 2018, he received an award for his outstanding contribution to the organisation.

Close of ICSA ballot

ICSA has confirmed to AgriLand that voting ballots have now been sent out to all of the organisation’s executive members.

The completed ballots must be returned to ICSA headquarters in Portlaoise on or before Thursday of this week (December 17).

The organisation has also confirmed that the comments by the candidates in the run-up to the elections are their own personal points-of-view only.

A spokesperson for ICSA added: “Official ICSA polices are formulated and agreed by the membership of the organisation as a whole.”