One week. One week after tickets went on sale at the National Ploughing Championships, our Women & Agriculture conference, run in association with FBD Insurance was sold out. We hadn’t even announced our speaker list and ladies were already planning their journey to the Kingdom.

We are looking forward to seeing you all in Kerry, and once again we have a jam-packed schedule that won’t disappoint. Here are some of the highlights to look forward to.

Mary Kennedy

Celebrating success, highlighting the importance of community spirit and showcasing Irish businesses are qualities that characterise both Nationwide and Irish Country Living. So really there couldn’t be a more perfect person to make her mark at this year’s Women & Agriculture conference than Mary Kennedy.

Briege Corkery

Hard work and determination got Briege Corkey to where she is today, one of the most successful GAA stars of all time. She has a record-breaking 18 All-Ireland football and camogie medals and also works on a herd of more than 600 cows with her husband, Diarmuid. They milk in partnership with Mike Bateman in Crookstown, Co Cork.

No doubt, Briege will leave us feeling uplifted and motivated.

Chef Adrian

He is the chef to watch out for, the young man that is making waves in the food world. From Co Cavan, chef Adrian is heading all the way to Kerry to cook up some tasty treats. Famous for “who needs a takeaway when you can have a fakeaway”, plan to be suitably impressed (and hungry) when he comes on stage.

Noreen Murphy, Lisheen House

Some of the most impactful talks at our conference over the years have been the ones where people have stood up and spoken the raw truth. Noreen Murphy’s story of setting up Lisheen House after the death of her husband, Donal, by suicide is both moving and inspiring.

She knew, given the current mental health services, that if she wanted to make a difference she would have to do it herself. And this is exactly what she has done.

On top of that, we also have a host of panel discussions to really get to the heart of matters affecting women in rural Ireland.

Brexit – what next?

In our panel discussion on Brexit, we will be stripping away the high-level content to bring it back to the family farm. What will the real impact of Brexit be inside the farmgates?

Women speak up in the IFA

Last year our session on women in leadership positions in farming organisations was the most animated discussion of the day. Now one year later, we have four female county chairs. We will discuss the difference a year makes and reveal survey results on what female farmers want in the future.

Women & Agriculture Winners

From purple potatoes to icecream production and pet farms, our 2018 Women & Agriculture award winners really prove the possibilities of innovation on the family farm.

Win a fantastic makeover at our Women & Agriculture Conference, run in association with FBD Insurance

Tired of your look? Do you feel you need to give your wardrobe an injection of style? At this year’s Women & Agriculture Conference, we are giving two women the opportunity to have a fantastic makeover. You’ll arrive to Killarney on 23 October to attend our gala dinner and stay at the Europe Hotel overnight as our guests.

The following morning, we’ll bring you on stage to tell our audience why you and your friend are looking for a makeover and what kind of look you want to achieve. Then it’s pamper time. You’ll be whisked off to shop in Paco in Killarney. Its expert shopper will advise on both a dressy and casual look for you, one that flatters your figure and makes you feel wow. Then it’s time to complete the look. As well as a new haircut, you’ll also be given a make-up masterclass to find the colours and shades that suit you perfectly. When your look is complete, it’s time for the big reveal. Back in the Europe Hotel, the audience will be waiting to see the new you. We’ll get you to talk us through your look and you will get the opportunity to take home your favourite outfit. We’ll also be sharing your new look in Irish Country Living.

This fantastic prize, worth over €1,000, could be the perfect pamper package for you and your friend, mother, sister or daughter. To enter, tell us in 200 words or less why you deserve a makeover and who you would bring with you. Send your entry before 18 October to Women & Agriculture Makeover Competition, Irish Country Living, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12, or email competitions@farmersjournal.ie.