ICMSA’s Sean Kelly laid to rest
Leaders of all farming organisations and rural bodies were among the large gathering who paid their final respects to the 82 year old former ICMSA President, who died unexpectedly while leading a group of farmers on a foreign holiday.
From Curraghpoor, Tipperary, Mr Kelly was the only President in the ICMSA’s 53 year history to serve two terms as leader.
A lifelong, dedicated supporter of the Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, he was among the founder members in Co Tipperary, and within a short time was serving at national level, leading to his election as fifth National President in July 1981, serving to June 1986.
He was re-elected president the following year, and served a further two years.
He also served as a director of the Irish Dairy Board and a member of the EU Social and Economic Council.
He was the only farmer representative to be elected chairman of a County Committee of Agriculture, and he chaired the co-op which managed and published one of the early national agri-magazines, “Irish Farming News”.
A founder member and the chairman up to his death of Tipperary Mid West Radio, he regularly presented farming coverage on the station.
He drew much of his inspiration for rural development and leadership from the late Canon John Hayes, the founder of Muintir na Tire, a close friend in Kelly’s youth when he served as parish priest in the neighbouring parish of Bansha.
Kelly was an active Muintir na Tire member before becoming involved as an ICMSA founder in 1950.
Sean was nine when his father died and, helping his mother to run the family farm, he learned the harsh realities of farming in the early ’40s, suffering the effects of the Economic War.
Things were hard too in his ICMSA presidency in the 1980s, when farmers encountered financial difficulties, and came into the tax net for the first time.
Current President and Deputy President, Pat O’Rourke and Jackie Cahill led a ICMSA guard of honour who flanked the hearse carrying his remains through Tipperary town.
In a graveside oration, Pat O’Rourke said: “The fondness that farmers had for Sean sprang from the fact that any farmer could approach him with their problems and concerns, and that he could identify with them and take action on their behalf.
"The immense respect that farmers had for Sean Kelly was due to his direct and determined approach to representing and defending their interests”, he said.
“Sean in his youth was anchorman to the local tug-o-war team and many times in later life, he was to provide a solid anchor to ICMSA delegations in Dublin and Brussels. We are all aware of his major role in the ICMSA farmer protest in Dublin in 1966, as chief steward and co-ordinator.
“While his approach was to accommodate a broad consensus, it was tempered with fierce determination, Sean Kelly was the only farm leader ever to say No at the end of negotiations on a new national plan, when he rejected the Programme for National Recovery in October 1987, as being inadequate for farmers.
"This decision was not taken likely and his judgement was later proven to be correct.
"Paramount among his strengths were loyalty and fair play.”
Ms Marie Ryan spoke of Sean’s contribution to the local community and his dedication to Radio Tipperary Mid West, on behalf of the board of the company.
