There is a moment at every Women & Agriculture conference that strikes a chord, that may catch your breath and will stay with you long after your journey home.

For some, that moment was Joan Freeman’s talk. It was her lightbulb moment when she realised every community needed a living Pieta, where we could hold broken lives. For others, it was the belly laugh that erupted in the room when Breege O’Donoghue, who until recently was executive director of Primark, announced that she wasn’t retiring, she was simply re-wiring. Then, of course, there was the moment when Fionnuala O’Kelly, wife of Enda Kenny, a woman who is so relatable, admitted that having lunch with President Obama and his wife Michelle every St Patrick’s Day is a truly remarkable experience but that they were very down-to-earth people and, like herself and Enda, they were simply ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.

It is these moments that made this conference so powerful. The word inspirational is thrown around these days but the speakers who took to the stage this year were exceptional.

We brought back the “On the Couch” session, which proved to be a real hit last year. Margaret Farrelly from Clonarn Clover, Anna Marie McHugh from the National Ploughing Championships, Mary Sadlier of Coole Swan and Margaret Hoctor of Kilmullen Farm all spoke to Matt Dempsey, former editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, about their journeys. They discussed the highs and the lows of building these important agri businesses.

In the afternoon, four ladies sat down with Katherine O’Leary, Irish Country Living columnist. In a raw discussion, they bravely opened up about their health issues. Ann Kehoe and Betty Murphy discussed their journey through breast cancer, while Maura Canning spoke about her heart problems. Applause erupted when Geraldine O’Leary spoke about living with diabetes and said: “I decided that I would control it, it was not going to control me.”

On top of that, there was Rhona Mahony of Holles Street discussing maternity services; Paula Mee and Kate O’Brien with their uplifting talk about the menopause; Neven Maguire with a mouth-watering cookery demonstration; and honest legal advice from Aisling Meehan.

Add in a gorgeous performance from Frances Black – who had everyone swaying to After the Ball and her song Wall of Tears, which brought on goose bumps – and it really was a conference to remember.

However, putting all the speakers, the organisation and the preparation aside, it’s the audience who really help make this conference a success. The ladies who, year after year, travel for hours to come together once again to chat, to engage, to take time for themselves to recharge the batteries and arrive home to the farm ready to take on new challenges and seize life’s moments.

Next year will be the 10th Women & Agriculture Conference. If you’ve never been, it is a day that is truly special. And if you are one of the ladies who we see year after year, then we hope you had another fantastic conference and we look forward to seeing you all next year for an extra special celebration.