This year marks 60 years since the 1966 farmers’ rights protest march on Dublin. In October of that year members of the National Farmers’ Association set out from across the country and walked to the capital to demand to be heard.
The leaders of the campaign were refused entry to the Department of Agriculture and staged a sit-in for three weeks on the steps of the building.
Protests continued into 1967, with farmers being handed down prison sentences for blocking roads and refusing to pay rates.
One of the farmers who went on the long walk and served some time in Limerick prison for blocking bridges across the River Shannon was Hubert Roche Kelly from Cratloe, Co Clare.
He was the guest of honour at a recent dinner hosted by Clare IFA, where he spoke about the motivation behind the march and conditions farmers faced at the time.
“Farming was on its knees in this country in 1966. To make matters worse, we had a minister for agriculture who didn’t want to listen to farmers and so we had to make sure he couldn’t ignore us anymore.”
Stephen Walsh, Clare IFA county chair, said that all Irish farmers owe a debt of gratitude to those who took part in the protests 60 years ago, and that it was an honour to have one of the few surviving members of that group join them on the evening.
Hubert Roche Kelly (front, centre) was the guest of honour at Clare IFA dinner on 28 December 2025.
This year marks 60 years since the 1966 farmers’ rights protest march on Dublin. In October of that year members of the National Farmers’ Association set out from across the country and walked to the capital to demand to be heard.
The leaders of the campaign were refused entry to the Department of Agriculture and staged a sit-in for three weeks on the steps of the building.
Protests continued into 1967, with farmers being handed down prison sentences for blocking roads and refusing to pay rates.
One of the farmers who went on the long walk and served some time in Limerick prison for blocking bridges across the River Shannon was Hubert Roche Kelly from Cratloe, Co Clare.
He was the guest of honour at a recent dinner hosted by Clare IFA, where he spoke about the motivation behind the march and conditions farmers faced at the time.
“Farming was on its knees in this country in 1966. To make matters worse, we had a minister for agriculture who didn’t want to listen to farmers and so we had to make sure he couldn’t ignore us anymore.”
Stephen Walsh, Clare IFA county chair, said that all Irish farmers owe a debt of gratitude to those who took part in the protests 60 years ago, and that it was an honour to have one of the few surviving members of that group join them on the evening.
Hubert Roche Kelly (front, centre) was the guest of honour at Clare IFA dinner on 28 December 2025.
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