Looking Ahead

Here’s this year’s Women & Agriculture Conference agenda. It’s jam-packed with informing, inspiring and entertaining talks. We’ll see you there.

  • 9.00am: Registration.
  • 9.20am: Official welcome by Mairead Lavery, editor Irish Country Living.
  • 9.30am: Official opening by Claire Walsh, FBD Insurance branch manager Waterford.
  • 9.40am: Opening by Triona Gorman, operations director, Countrywide.
  • 9.50am: Introduction by Justin McCarthy, editor Irish Farmers Journal.
  • 10am: Putting money in your pocket. On-the-Couch session hosted by Peter Young, in conversation with Noel Leahy.
  • 10.40am: David McWilliams, economist. The only economist in Ireland to accurately forecast a strong UK Brexit vote, David will talk about how it may impact Irish farming families.
  • 11.20am: Tea break.
  • 11.40am: Maura Canning, IFA Farm Family. Update on the Fair Deal Scheme.
  • 11.55pm: Female leadership in farming organisations. On-the-Couch session hosted by Matt Dempsey in conversation with Helena Jonsson, Kari Redse Haskjold and Joan Fitzpatrick.
  • 12.40pm: Surprise act.
  • 1pm: Lunch.
  • 2.30pm: Mary Ann O’Brien. The lady behind Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate and the co-founder of the Jack and Jill Foundation, Mary Ann is an inspiring entrepreneur.
  • 3.30pm: Sian Bushell, succession planner, and Claire O’Keeffe, Succession Ireland, take to the stage. What’s the plan for your family farm and what are your dreams for retirement? After this talk, you will be better equipped with this succession advice.
  • 4.15pm: Rob and Dave Kearney, Irish rugby team. Time to get active with the farming brothers who are behind dairy with the NDC.
  • 4.30pm: Short break
  • 4.40pm: Building a business through adversity. On-the-Couch session hosted by Katherine O’Leary in conversation with Sallyanne Parker Clarke, Siobhan Lawless and Mary Breen.
  • 5.20pm: Maureen Gaffney. Back by popular demand, psychologist Maureen Gaffney will end this conference leaving us reinvigorated, inspired and empowered to take on the coming year.
  • 6pm Conference Close
  • Women & Agriculture Conference 2017
  • is brought to you by the Irish Farmers Journal in association with FBD Insurance and Sherry FitzGerald