I see Irishwoman Catherine Day will step down from the top job in Brussels at the end of next week. Day has been secretary general of the European Commission since November 2005, which means she arrived just in time for the euro crisis. She is the first woman to hold the position and just the fifth secretary general – but the second Irish holder of the role after David O’Sullivan.

Day’s departure means there will be no Irish person in the top echelons of the Commission. She is the only Irish person among the current 33 directors general and 36 deputy directors general.

At the start of her career, Catherine Day worked as a loan officer in Investment Bank of Ireland but showing early foresight she quit banking and moved to the EU. She rose through the ranks and served as director general of DG Environment before taking charge of the whole Commission team.

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Irish farming interests describe her as having been available in crunch times, able to grasp the politics of issues and helpful. Her father is Reddy Day, who older readers will know as former general manager of the Pigs and Bacon Commission.

With the euro ship steered into calmer waters Day is now stepping down. She will be succeeded by Dutchman Alexander Italianer, who steps up from director general of competition.

Among those to wish Day well this week were Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan.