Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has appointed Macra president, Elaine Houlihan and Vanessa Kiely O’Connor to the Teagasc Authority.
Elaine Houlihan was the Macra nomination, while Vanessa Kiely O’Connor is a board member of Bandon co-op and was the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) nomination.
Houlihan, from Athlacca, Co. Limerick is a physiotherapist and part-time beef farmer.
She was elected as president of Macra, taking up the post in May 2023. Previously she was the Munster vice-president of Macra for two years.
Houlihan comes from a suckler and calf-to-beef farm, and completed her Green Cert at Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick.
She attended Saxion University of Applied Science in the Netherlands to study physiotherapy.
As president of Macra, Elaine represents the organisation’s membership at local, national and European level on issues affecting farming and rural communities.
Vanessa Kiely O’Connor is a dairy farmer from Innishannon, Co. Cork. She graduated with a diploma in corporate direction (food business) from the University College Cork (UCC)/ICOS programme, and also holds a diploma in environmental science and social policy, from UCC.
She is a board member of Bandon Co-Operative and also serves on the board of Clona Dairy Products.
She is a member of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholder Group (WASG) and serves on the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) Farm Business Committee.
Kiely O’Connor has won numerous farm awards in quality and sustainability.
Teagasc Authority
Speaking at a meeting of the Teagasc Authority at Oak Park, Co. Carlow today (Wednesday, October 4), Liam Herlihy, chairman of Teagasc, welcomed both Vanessa and Elaine to the authority.
He said: “I look forward to working with Vanessa and Elaine over the coming years. They bring important skills, knowledge and expertise to the authority, which will assist the deliberations of the Teagasc board in the years ahead.”
Liam Herlihy thanked Pat Duffy and John Buckley who have completed their terms on the Teagasc Authority.
“On behalf of the members of the authority, management and staff, I thank Pat and John for their excellent contributions to Teagasc while serving as members of the authority,” he said.