Death of veteran of the milk wars
Dairy farmer Martin Flanagan, Gurrane, Kilmeedy, will be remembered as a co-operative leader who gave unselfishly of his talents of firmness, fairness and impartiality, for the benefit of farmers.
He became the third chairman of Golden Vale, in 1974, immediately prior to a period of serious loss making, large-scale redundancy, closure of the engineering division, and milk wars.
He served during the Kantoher blockade, and was one of the signatories to a “truce” which lifted the four day old blockade.
During his nine years as chairman he coped with immense anger from farmers over milk price and society losses.
He once recalled: “I watched farmers coming into a meeting one day and did not recognise some of them, because of the anger in their faces.”
A one-time Macra na Feirme officer, he served as chairman of Deel Bridge Co-op Creamery before his involvement with Golden Vale, and was secretary of Dromcollogher Mart. He also served as an IAWS board member.
An extensive dairy farmer, he had a lifelong interest in greyhound racing.
He was predeceased by his wife, Dora and is survived by his daughters, Margaret and Mary.
