Farmer’s organisation to welcome first woman president in 63-year history

THE first women president in the 63-year history of Macra na Feirme will be Catherine Buckley, a 29-year-old accountant from Knocknagown, Rylane, Co Cork.

She was the only person put forward for the post when nominations were opened at the Irish Farm Centre in Dublin yesterday.

Catherine, whose presidency was announced on the eve of International Women’s Day, will succeed Colm Markey of Togher, Co Louth, whose two-year term ends at Macra’s AGM in Drogheda on May 12.

A member of Macroom Macra in Muskerry region for the past ten years, Catherine is the national chairperson. She was previously national treasurer and served as chairperson of the national competitions committee last year.

Catherine, who will be the 31st holder of the office and the fifth from Cork, said it was an honour for her.

“I am looking forward to the challenge and the opportunities involved. It is a time of great change in Macra and in farming.

“I think my election as Macra’s first woman president is reflective of that change and a recognition of the role that women play in agriculture,” she said.

Catherine said Macra, which has 8,000 members between the ages of 17 and 35, in a network of some 300 clubs, has a huge role to play in developing leadership and in community activity.

“It was inevitable... that a woman was going to become president. Macra has... a 40% female membership. Women have traditionally been involved in agriculture and are still very active in it,” she said.

Catherine said Macra has five key areas of activity, agriculture, sports, travel, public speaking and performing arts.

It is committed to the personal development of members and puts emphasis on social interaction and participation.

Macra’s origins were in development and education of rural people in an era when people were not getting a full State education.

Catherine said her employers, Cross Refrigeration in Cork City, with whom she has worked for the past seven years, have been very supportive of her decision to seek the Macra presidency.

Her parents, Mortimer and Kathleen, retired primary school teachers, are beef farmers. Both are former Macra members.

She has two brothers, Mortimer John, a mechanical engineer in Killarney, and Conor Don, a business analyst in Dublin.