Letter to the Editor: Education and farming are rural lifelines

Fifty-odd years ago two lifelines were thrown to rural Ireland by a Fianna Fáil majority government. In July 1961, Ireland applied for membership of the EEC. Just five years later, in September 1966, the minister for education announced his free education scheme. We then joined the EEC in 1973.

These two pivotal moments in Irish history were welcomed by the rural and farming community — they offered hope.