Seán Wallace Donoughmore, Muskerry

Seán Wallace is a 24-year-old software engineer who joined his local Macra club of Donoughmore in Muskerry in 2010. Since then, he has been involved in all areas of Macra at club, college, county and national level. He has served as club secretary, during which time Donoughmore went on to win its first club of the year title in 2015. The same period saw Donoughmore increase from 33 to 58 members, and take part in 100% of national competitions.

He was also on Donoughmore’s 60th anniversary dinner dance committee in 2014.

At club level, he has been active at encouraging others to get involved in Macra and experience all it has to offer, and has helped with the club’s annual fundraisers and its presence at the local carnival.

He served as Muskerry national council representative over the last three years, being elected as national secretary in 2016 and 2017. He sat on the Muskerry 2015 rally committee, and represented Macra at the AGM of the English National Federation of Young Clubs last year.

Seán was also selected as one of the leaders on the 2017 Macra na Feirme prizewinners’ trip to Rome.

Sarah Condren Johnstown/Coolgreany, Wicklow

Sarah Condren comes from a dairy farm in north Wexford. She is 28, and works in the agricultural, environmental and structures division of the Department of Agriculture. She graduated from UCD with a degree in animal science in 2011, and last year completed a masters degree in ruminant nutrition.

Sarah joined Macra in 2010, and since then has held roles as treasurer and chair of the Johnstown/Coolgreany club, and has been elected on to the county executive for the last six years – as YFDG chair, YFDG secretary and her current position of county secretary. Some of her achievements include winning national titles and runners-up titles in drama and senior dairy stockjudging, receiving a gold leadership award, helping her club to win club of the year, and also winning best fancy dress costume at the Muskerry Rally. Sarah has been part of the organising committees for many events, including the Wicklow Macra Masquerade Ball and Harvest Hooley, and currently runs the Young Farmers Development Group in Wicklow.

Outside of Macra, she loves to travel and attend concerts, and is an active member of the Agricultural Science Association and the Irish Holstein Friesian Association.

Jennifer Hall Ashford, Wicklow

Jennifer has been in Macra na Feirme since she was 17 years old. Through this time, she had several roles and this year is county chair for Wicklow and club secretary for her club Ashford.

Her highlights in Macra include being chosen to represent Wicklow in Miss Macra and organising the successful Harvest Hooley in Wicklow which was its largest event since the Macra Rally. Her next step in Macra is to hopefully become a national council representative.

She is currently completing her ACCA qualification and working as a trainee accountant in an insurance company in Bray, Co Wicklow. This aided her role as treasurer and she was extremely proud when she was presented with the gold award for her work. She lives at home on the family farm where they have 30 beef heifers, 145 sheep and seven horses.

It’s lambing season so she helps out on the home farm as much as possible.

In 2010, she completed a diploma in veterinary nursing which helps with this.

Jennifer enjoys working with animals and in her free time she goes horse-riding or brings her St Bernard, Harvey, for walks.

Paul O’Regan Kinsale, Seandún

Paul is from a tillage farming family in Belgooly, Co Cork. He’s a member of Kinsale Macra, though he first joined the Carrigaline Club where he represented Carrigaline in both club and region for Mr Personality in 2009. Three months later, he was instrumental in restarting Kinsale Macra which had been dormant for several years. Kinsale has since enjoyed many successes up to national level. He has taken part in drama, capers, public speaking, debating and sports.

Since Kinsale reformed, Paul has held various posts at club and regional level. He is proud to serve as club president, and competitions chair for the Seandún region of Cork, organising and presiding over competitions. This year, he is privileged to be serving on the national competitions sub-committee as a co-opted member.

It is at club level that he has derived the greatest satisfaction from Macra: organising and running fundraisers, as a producer of shows, capers, drama, national talent competition and also taking part as a member in Kinsale Macra’s teams. He has made many friends that he would never otherwise have known, and says his life is certainly the better for it.

Una Ryan Ballinahinch/Killoscully, Tipperary

Una is the current national council representative for north Tipperary. She’s studying to complete the Green Cert in Gurteen Agricultural College, and she is employed as a family support worker with Enable Ireland.

In 2005, she joined Macra na Feirme and meeting such a kind circle of friends there allowed for excellent personal development throughout the years. Through taking part in many competitions such as Queen of the Land 2013 and numerous public speaking and debating competitions she gained skillsets which are transferable to any industry.

Her achievements include becoming North Tipperary’s national council representative in 2014, being elected as national secretary 2015/2016, being the chair of the national AGM organising committee 2016 and assisting in the hosting of the national drama semi-finals in Newport in April 2017. Una says there have been many exciting opportunities throughout her time in Macra.

She is honoured to become a finalist for the National Leadership Awards, and she would like to thank everyone who has supported her throughout the years.

Cormac Lehane Carrigaline, Seandún

Cormac grew up on a dairy farm in Douglas, which is close enough to Cork City.

He went to secondary school in Coláiste Chríost Rí in Cork city and studied business information systems in UCC. He worked in IT for a while but at the moment is working more at home on the dairy farm and helping with the bit of forestry they also have.

He hopes to start a primary teaching course in April.

Like a lot of people, Cormac joined Macra after years of being pestered by parents.

Cormac joined at an AGM and was immediately elected sports officer and assistant secretary. He went on to become regional sports officer where as well as competitions, Cormac organised other events including the Seandún ski trip.

Since joining Macra he has given almost everything a go.

He particularly enjoys the senior debating competition. Cormac says: ‘‘Macra has very strong foundations built around its six pillars and it represents the interests of rural youth and particularly young farmers very well.

‘‘There are a lot of challenges for Macra in the future but I’ve never met a more capable bunch.’’

Charlie Smyth Ramor Macra, Cavan

Charlie is a highly ambitious and enthusiastic individual. He is currently studying his second under graduate degree in food and agribusiness management in UCD and is also a strong member of his local Ramor Macra club in Cavan. He comes from a beef, poultry and dairy background and last year was the first winner of the young farmer discussion group chair, representing Cavan, in Co Laois.

YFDGs are operated at a county level and provide discussion and information nights for young farmers. In Cavan, there are five Macra clubs and Charlie raised the standard of the competition by ensuring that every club held an event or farm walk and every event was different in terms of the insights they offered into modern agriculture.

The future of agriculture is one of the most challenging difficulties our generation will have to face.

If you are engulfed by farming and are constantly passionate about agriculture like Charlie, contact the Macra head office on: 01-4268900 to find your nearest club, and get involved.