By Anna Powell

To mark its 60^th anniversary, Mid Tipp Mart, based in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, hosted a charity auction in aid of North Tipperary Hospice and the LauraLynn foundation.

Speaking to Agriland at the celebration event in recent days, mart manager of Mid Tipp Mart, Ciara Ryan said: “[It is] a celebration to mark the 60 years in existence of Mid Tipp Mart here in Thurles."

Alongside a charity auction of three bullocks and a raffle, the mart hosted a range of talks from various sectors of the agricultural industry.

Representatives of Teagasc, Progressive Genetics, Dovea Genetics, National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC), Centenery Co-op and local vets gave presentation to those in attendance on the night.

“We had different stakeholder groups from all the areas of the industry… to talk about all different aspects of agriculture which all ultimately feeds into the mart," Ciara Ryan explained, also outlining why they decided to partner with Teagasc to host a range of talks alongside their charity auction.

A celebration of its history

The event was organised to celebrate the mart's history and the work that went into the mart to enable it to survive various challenges throughout the years.

“The time when the mart was first established, it was quite challenging times. There [are] always different challenges and threats to the mart and the livestock sector," Ryan added.

“It was just to show that [Mid Tipp Mart] came through all the different tough times,” she said.

The mart manager referred to challenges that have faced the mart such as changes in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulations, EU regulations, the removal of milk quotas and the expansion of the dairy herd and the suckler herd.

The event was also an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the mart's history.

Chair of Mid Tipp Livestock Society, Frances Burke addressed the crowd in attendance at the charity auction stating: “It was a farmers' mart, started by farmers, for farmers, to give a fair platform for everybody to buy and sell their cattle and I think Tipp Mart [has] achieved that and since strived to achieve that.

“Tonight’s celebration was a coming together of a lot people who had done so much for Mid Tipperary Mart.

“We are really proud of them and what they done," he added.

Founding member in attendance

Among the crowd of people who joined Mid Tipp Mart to celebrate the 60^th anniversary, was the last surviving founding member of Mid Tipp Mart, Nicholas Morrissey, who volunteered at the mart for 40 years.

“I couldn’t believe it, the people who turned out and the enthusiasm that there is for the place," he said.

"The leadership here must be extraordinary and getting better and better as time goes on,” Morrissey said.

After lauding the work of the founders of Tipperary mart and outlining how the mart has transformed over the past 60 years, Frances Burke stressed the need to continue the success of the mart for future generations.

“It’s fantastic to see what they've done and it’s up to us to continue it on and keep it going… and make sure that it’s there for the next generation as well which is so important,” Burke said.

Beneficiaries of the auction

As expressed by Ciara Ryan, the event aimed to celebrate the mart's presence in the community while also raising funds for North Tipperary Hospice and the LauraLynn Foundation, two beneficiaries that are important to those involved in the mart.

“Unfortunately, every family in the country has been touched by cancer in some way at some point," the mart manager said.

"North Tipp Hospice is a local charity here that offers support services to cancer patients and their families.

“The LauraLynn foundation - one of our staff members here, they have had to avail of the LauraLynn services in recent years and they have gotten on really well with them, so it was just to give back for something that is close to home here at the mart,” she continued.

There were three bullocks on auction on the night, one bought by the mart's committee, one bought by the mart and one bought by the staff members of the mart.

“When it came back from the community meeting that we were going to do a charity auction, it was initially suggested that the committee and the mart would buy an animal each, and when the staff members heard that, they immediately volunteered and said that they were going to put a few pound together and do a collection to sponsor an animal,” Ryan added.

Support

Organisers of the event for the mart were delighted with the success of the event.

“There was hardly room to stand around the ring. There wasn’t a spare seat and it just goes to show the interest that is there from the local community and the local shareholders and patrons of the mart, in the mart and wanting to support it,” Ryan said.

The mart manager also highlighted the huge social benefits the mart offers to its customers.

“It means a lot to the mart and it means a lot to myself and the committee members as well to be able to see the support and the turnout that we had here this evening,” she said.