Macra’s annual conference saw the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture both in Adare to address young farmers.
Martin Heydon was first on the scene, and he spoke to Macra’s leadership at a private lunch sponsored by Bord Bia.
I heard he provided an overview and update of what is in the pipeline for young farmers, both through the next CAP and domestically. I understand he was challenged by some young farmers on various aspects of policy delivery.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined that lunch. Being in Limerick, Elaine Houlihan had organised the presence of Liam MacCarthy. I’m told it was gas to see Macra president and Kilkenny woman Josephine O’Neill and Cork man Micheál Martin handling a trophy their counties used to mostly share between them.
Kilcormac Killoughey is another hurling stronghold, and its Macra club added the Know Your Agriculture trophy to the Offaly county senior hurling title retained the previous weekend.
O'Neill impresses
At Saturday’s main event, the conference itself, Josephine O’Neill fairly put it up to the Taoiseach. An excellent public speaker, she managed to combine strong words with a tone that caused no offence.
Her term of office ends next spring, it will be interesting to see what her next step will be. A number of political parties may try to get her to wear their jersey.
Adare is already on the countdown to the Ryder Cup, with any amount of roadworks in the area only exceeded by the work taking place in the hotel itself.
The Woodlands will be hosting the European golf team next September, and the Fitzgerald family who founded and own it are making sure they will be as well looked after as the Yanks over in Adare Manor. A large marquee hosted the Macra conference as its first major event.
Storm Boelo
Storm Boelo raged outside as the Macra president welcomed the Taoiseach into the room. The marquee structure stood up well to the conditions, but a billowing inner lining managed to catch the Macra banner behind the stage and knock it down.
Unlike the marquee’s lining, O’Neill proved to be unflappable, remarking “I seem to have brought the house down,” and calmly continuing.
Interestingly, Micheál Martin expressed strong opinions on solar energy support. “I would use TAMS much, much more”, he said. The reality is that 3,000 farmers’ TAMS solar applications accounted for 20% of the entire TAMS budget. To simply fulfil demand from all the applicants, the TAMS budget would have to have been doubled and all other TAMS supports scrapped.
“Darragh O’Brien is going gangbusters, retrofitting all over the place,” continued the Taoiseach. “We could be doing an awful lot more in terms of renewables powering our farm enterprises.”
Indeed.
