The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) joined the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) to protest outside of Bord Bia head office on Thursday.
Farmers are protesting for a fourth day over the chair of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin of Dawn Farm Foods, importing Brazilian beef in 2025.
Dawn Farm Foods confirmed that 1% of its supply came from Brazil last year.
On Thursday, ICSA general secretary Hugh Farrell and former ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch joined the IFA protest.
Farmers gathered in tractors outside the Aviva stadium on Thursday afternoon before heading to Dublin City centre to demonstrate as part of its ongoing Bord Bia protest.
Tractors are pulled up outside Leinster House, sending the message loud and clear to the Minister, the Government and all TDs and Senators that the farmers will only accept one thing… LARRY MURRIN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE POSITION OF CHAIR OF BORD BIA! #LarryMustGo #ActNowHeydon… pic.twitter.com/Xg0znRch9R
— Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) January 29, 2026
They then travelled to park up outside Leinster House. The protest is set to continue into a fifth day.
Resignation
The IFA has called on Murrin to resign from his position in light of his company importing Brazilian beef last year.
However, speaking exclusively to the Irish Farmers Journal this week, Murrin said that “it’s a massively delicate issue which has been wildly inflated beyond its true meaning”.
“This Brazil emotional nonsense that’s going on, it’s not a new fact. It is not in the job specifications that you have to have 100% Irish inputs in your business,” he said.
His comments have been blasted by IFA deputy president Alice Doyle who said that Murrin’s comments have enraged farmers.
“These comments show the total contempt Murrin has for farmers and their families. He has no understanding of the important part farmers play in Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance schemes. "It’s quite clear that he is out of touch with the farmers who are producing the food,” she said.
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