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The awards were presented at a banquet dinner, last Tuesday, September 9th. Aileen, a Blarney native, milks 140 dairy cows on a 100% leased farm, managing 28 in-calf heifers and 24 calves as replacements. She began farming in December 2021 after leasing a dairy unit in Whitechurch, purchasing a herd, and starting milk supply. In 2023 she introduced her own heifers, and now runs the enterprise with her husband while raising their six-month-old baby. The farm is supported by three part-time staff – Sarah, Aoife, and Tadgh – and has a strong focus on sustainability. Alongside farming, Aileen teaches PE...

Macra welcomes recent comments by the Tánaiste Simon Harris that more needs to be done on succession as part of Budget 2026. At the recent Tullamore Show, the Tánaiste spoke with Macra representatives and also indicated that he would expect the upcoming budget to show movement in the area of generational renewal and succession.Macra National President Josephine O'Neill welcomed the comments by the Tánaiste and reiterated her comments that “generational renewal must become a key issue for our government, to ensure a future for our young farmers and for rural Ireland. Our government must now show that this was not...

The establishment of the Commission on Generational Renewal was warmly welcomed by Macra at the Tullamore Show last year. For young farmers, this brought hope that the Government was finally recognising the importance of the issue and taking the initial steps towards supporting a future for them.However, the promised report from the Commission has yet to be delivered, and with Budget 2026 looming, hopes are fading that this report will have any meaningful impact. Since the establishment of the Commission, Macra has actively engaged to ensure the young person’s voice would be heard.Macra President Josephine O’Neill commented, “In January 2025,...

There is a potential avalanche of developments on the horizon for derogation farmers following the events of the last week, particularly the layering of the Habitats Directive on top of the Nitrates and Water Framework Directives as part of the process of securing Ireland's next nitrates derogation.  Macra President Josephine O'Neill states, "This comes at a time when the family farm model is already under pressure from layers of compliance and the additionality of measures to be implemented at the family farm level, notwithstanding any additional future burdens." The EU Commission is championing simplification, freedom to farm and protecting diversity of...

Macra is once again highlighting the urgent need for the delivery of a Succession Scheme to ensure the future of the Irish Agricultural sector. Macra as an organisation has been calling on this action for over 40 years, and we are now at a crisis point.Macra President Josephine O’Neill is calling on the Government to take action. “If our Ministers and officials do not take action soon on this critical issue, I fear we may not have the next generation to take on farms. We have been waiting over 40 years to see action on this matter, and it is...