Mary Sheehan has been elected as chair of the Co. Kerry branch for the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA), making her the first female chair of any farm organisation in the county.
Following the announcement yesterday (Thursday, March 7) at the Co. Kerry INHFA annual general meeting (AGM), former chair, John Joe Fitzgerald said:
“It made great timing to mark the occasion for International Women’s Day.”
Sheehan is a sheep farmer from Lassabee in Castlemaine Co. Kerry, with a holding of about 30ac.
Sheehan said that while she is “mad busy” with lambing season in full swing, she is “absolutely delighted” with the news.
She said she will use the role to be a “clear voice for farmers” and work with the other organisations to “get the best deal”.
“I have big shoes to fill following on from John Joe, but I’m delighted and willing to be the voice to push through for younger generations,” she said.
INHFA
“I grew up on the side of the Slieve Mish Mountains, being a farmer’s daughter but knowing that the land wasn’t enough to sustain us, and having to secure a career for myself and my son – but always keeping my hands in sheep farming.
“Being that voice for young people now, I want to look at what is right and what is wrong out there,” Sheehan said.
“It’s about building a good working relationship with all the agricultural boards, looking at what is available to us and fighting for what we can,” she added.
Former chair, Fizgerald told Agriland that the AGM centred around Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES); Nature restoration; and issues facing sheep and suckler farmers.
“The feedback we’re getting at the moment from farmers is all good. We’re the only farm organisation in Kerry that is working on their behalf,” Fitzgerald said.