Freemount Macra na Feirme claimed the coveted Macra na Feirme Club of the Year 2018 award at this year’s Macra na Feirme Rally in Tipperary over the bank holiday weekend.

The club from the Avondhu region of Co. Cork beat off stiff competition from a number of other branches around the country to claim top prize.

The Macra na Feirme Best New Member prize will also be heading down to Cork this year as Catriona O’Donovan of Ballinascarthy Macra, Carbery, came out on top in this contest.

Catriona O’Donavan, Ballinascarthy, Co. Cork, winner in the Best New Member Competition, alongside president James Healy. Image source: O’Gorman Photography

The rally

Hosted this year by South Tipperary Macra in the Clonmel Park Hotel, Clonmel, and Limerick Institute of Technology’s (LIT’s) Thurles campus, the event is estimated to have generated €250,000 for the local economy, according to the young farmers’ association.

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan was the keynote speaker at the Macra National Conference which took place in LIT Thurles on Saturday.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Sustainability in a Challenging World’ and in a wide-ranging interview with RTE’s Damien O’Reilly, Commissioner Hogan discussed generational renewal and how it will form a key part of CAP 2020 as well as the implications of Brexit.

The commissioner praised Macra na Feirme and the positive impact it has had on his own life, telling the audience it taught him to “talk up and then shut up”.

There were also two discussion panels at the conference which focused on ‘Market Sustainability for Young Farmers in Post Brexit Ireland’ and ‘Enjoying a Healthy Work/Life Balance in Agriculture’.

A number of Macra’s national competitions were held over the weekend – particularly contests focused on agriculture.

In the agricultural knowledge-based ‘Know Your Ag’ Quiz, Portlaoise Macra, Co. Laois took home top prize, while a member of this winning team, Liam Brophy, also scooped first place in the national Beef Senior Stockjudging.

The Under 23 Beef Stockjudging title went to Shane Clifford from Mid Kerry Macra, Co. Kerry, while the Sheep Senior Stockjudging award was taken by Graham Grothier of Tullow Macra, Carlow.

L-R: Joe Burke, Bord Bia; Liam Brophy, Beef Stockjudging Senior Section national winner; Graham Grothier, Tullow, Sheep Stockjudging national winner; and James Healy, Macra president. Image source: O’Gorman Photography

The annual conference was an “overwhelming success” with positive feedback on all aspects of the weekend, according to Macra na Feirme, which congratulated in particular South Tipp Macra Rally Committee on a well-run event.