Congratulations to local men Richard Harnett, Johnnie Roche and Ballymacelligott’s Tom Herlihy who were recently honoured by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) with honorary life memberships.
The honours were bestowed for their “outstanding, loyal and long service to the association.” The awards were sanctioned and signed by current IFA president Francie Gorman and by the association’s director general Damian McDonald.
The Irish Farmers’ Association was founded as the National Farmers Association 70 years ago on January 6th 1955.
The country’s largest representative organisation for farmers and primary food producers is based on grass roots organisation and a strong democratic tradition of representation.
IFA has been the farmers’ voice for six decades in every single important decision impacting upon Ireland’s largest indigenous industry.
At local, national and EU level, IFA’s active and dedicated voluntary officer structure works with a professional staff to improve farm incomes and address issues across the entire spectrum of food production, constantly adapting to a rapidly changing economic and political environment.
Mass Meeting in January 1955
On January 6th 1955 at a mass meeting of 2,000 farmers in the Four Provinces Ballroom, Harcourt Street, Dublin, Juan Greene made the formal proposal to establish the National Farmers’ Association. The first elections to the National Executive were held in May of that year.
Seeking the right to negotiate on behalf of farmers rather than merely be consulted, 1966 saw the launch of the NFA Farmers’ Rights Campaign. Members set out from as far away as Bantry, Co Cork to march on Dublin to demand to be heard, culminating in a sit-in for 21 days on the steps of Government Buildings. Against continued government resistance, a road and bridge blockade and rates strike saw dozens of NFA members jailed for several months.
Re-titled ‘IFA’ in 1971
Only significant movement on the right to negotiate on key legislation, and the establishment of marketing and advisory boards with farmer representatives, brought the campaign to a victorious end.
‘IFA’ came into existence in 1971 and moved its Dublin headquarters from Earlsfort Terrace to the newly built Irish Farm Centre a year later. The Association supported Ireland’s entry into the European Community and was a prominent campaigner in favour of the successful 1972 Common Market Referendum, which saw Ireland join the EEC the following year.
Rationale for Joining EEC
IFA’s rationale for joining was to give farmers direct access to the higher prices available in The Common Market and the supports under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Not only was IFA responsible for the establishment of Farmer Business Developments (FBD) in the late 1960s which led to Ireland’s most successful domestic insurance company, it was also instrumental in the foundation of Cork Marts-IMP and the Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative.
That’s a summary of the formidable movement, from the pages of its own history, which chose to honour Richard Harnett, Johnny Roche and Tom Herlihy for their ‘outstanding, loyal and long service to the association.’
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