WATCH: Brady to seek new blood to revive IFA

Maurice Brady vowed to try attract more young people and women into the IFA fold, after he was elected as county chair at Monday night’s AGM in the Lavey Inn.

A large crowd had filled all but the customary front two rows, and the mood was much more upbeat than those of AGMs even before the pandemic. The members were faced with the choice between experience and youthful enthusiasm for the top post, as Elizabeth Ormiston’s tenure came to a close. Experience won out as Maurice Brady of Laragh, who is finishing his term as chair of the animal health committee was given the nod ahead of Castlerahan/Mountnugent man Jimmy Sheridan.

“I certainly want to get more young people back involved in IFA,” he said, speaking to the Celt after his election. “I want to have more connection with Macra and get those people back. I certainly want to encourage more women to get involved – Elizabeth set such a high standard there and showed what can be done – she was an excellent chairperson over the four years. The message has to go out there – we need everyone involved in IFA.”

Following in the footsteps of fellow drystock farmer Joe Brady, and dairy men Jim O’Rourke and Jim Spears, Maurice is the fourth Laragh farmer to hold the top post in recent decades. With dairy going so well these days, the Celt wonders if it’s a good time to have a beef man at the helm to push that agenda.

“I don’t know if it makes an awful lot of difference, once you get in it doesn’t matter what kind of background you have, you have to deal with all the sectors anyway. There’s a crisis at the minute in the poultry and pig sectors and so that’s top of the agenda at the moment.”

Joining in the early 1980s, Maurice has been actively involved in IFA for most of his adult life. He was elected secretary to the Laragh branch at his first ever meeting, swiftly followed by becoming secretary at county level. The length of his commitment to the association was reflected in his delight at his election.

“I’m honoured to become county chairman,” he said and immediately paid tribute to his role models. “I remember working with so many great men – the like of Paul Dowd from Ballyhaise, Thomas Williamson, Terry McIntyre, Jim Maguire – I would have been secretary to some of those people over the years, and they all showed great leadership at the time, and were great people – they were inspirational to other farmers. I learned a lot from those people over the years.”

Initially the AGM had been set to host four elections - overseen by regional officer Willie Dolan - as there were also multiple nominations for the posts of chair, vice chair, PRO and treasurer.

However, Robert Watson expressed his gratitude to the branches who nominated him for the vice chair role and graciously withdrew from the contest, leaving Owen Brodie a shoo in.

“I’ve got to know Owen over the last number of years in IFA – he’s very nice and approachable fella. He’s also an educated fella, and we need the best up here,” said Robert.

Likewise out-going chair Elizabeth Ormiston withdrew her candidature from the treasurer race, enabling Aidan Smith to take the role uncontested.

Four names were put foward for the PRO role: Elizabeth Tilson, Jonathan Wilson, Cathal Rudden, and Thomas Cooney. A message was relayed to the top table that Cathal Rudden was absent, and was not running, while Thomas Cooney also withdrew his name. Jonathan Wilson, appeared a popular candidate, but when the votes were cast, the experienced committee member Elizabeth Tilson, a emerged the victor.

The main event of the night had been the election of the new chair, with Maurice Brady and Jimmy Sheridan giving a three minute pitch to the members.

“With the current climate facing farming on the ground we are all living in fear,” began Jimmy, “of maybe being unable to provide a stable income for our farm families through eroding CAP payments, input costs, nitrates, and of course climate change. We need a strong IFA to represent us.

“This is my first election in IFA, I’m not long involved, but I’m long enough on the ground full-time farming to know what we need going forward. I believe IFA needs change – we need new people, young people, people with new and fresh ideas, that’s why I’m seeking your vote for chair.”

During his pitch, Maurice focussed on his vast experience within the association having served on the farm business committee, livestock committee and has served on national council.

“It’s not my first [election], but hopefully it’s my last,” he quipped.

He had put in the groundwork ahead of the vote, having spoken to up to 120 members “from Dowra to Kingscourt and everywhere in between” in recent weeks .

“There’s unparalleled challenges facing farming at the minute, with the new CAP reform, nitrates directive, and what I will loosely call the green agenda – their environmental targets, I feel, will only get worse as they go on,” he said, assuring he would devote his energies to try to “push back” on these issues.

“Spiralling cost of production: fertiliser, meal, diesel, gas, electricity I’m saying here tonight, a lot of those will have to be, in some way, passed back to the consumer. And I’ll tell you why: I feel as farmers we can really give no more in the race to the bottom. I think other people are going to have to start picking up the tab for these costs. We can’t take any more of them.”

Speaking after his election, Maurice said he took heart from the fact that two young farmers had put their names forward for county officer positions.

“I’m very positive about IFA going forward. It’s a matter of getting everybody on board.”