It is almost inconceivable to consider that when we departed the Women & Agriculture conference in Sligo in October 2019, three years would pass before we could gather to celebrate the event again. But that is what happened.
Suffice to say, I am delighted that we are back and our 2022 conference theme is “Connecting the Generations”.
COVID-19 has affected the generations, both women and men, in different ways. Some have lost loved ones or their own health has been negatively affected. Others have had their businesses shuttered and are trying to get back on their feet through the grip of a cost of living crisis.
That latter crisis is affecting everyone, young and old. Energy and food prices are soaring and the constant barrage of negativity is affecting people, not only physically in their homes but also mentally. These issues will be discussed at our conference across our various panels.
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee outside Leinster House.
The pandemic also brought to light just how vulnerable some women are in their own homes. A few weeks back, Caitríona Morrissey spoke with our conference keynote speaker, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, on domestic abuse issues.
Many people have since written to me, both men and women, to say how they connected with the issue either through their own experiences or those of a loved one. At the conference, women will have the opportunity to speak directly to the minister on this topic and I am grateful that we are able to provide a platform for such a discussion.
A special thank you to FBD Insurance for the support for the Women & Agriculture conference again this year. If you miss it, you can catch up on the highlights and interviews online.
Halloween
This is the third week that we have carried a Reader Writes article. Each one is very different, with a unique perspective. I am grateful to every writer, amateur or professional, who takes the time to send me an idea or a fully fledged article.
One of our subeditors commented that “The secrets of the dunghill” by Jim Commins, printed two weeks ago, was her “favourite piece since she started working for the Irish Farmers Journal” last April. And I think that this week’s article by Arthur Bloomfield could be one of mine. It was some time ago that I received this short story. I like to build a stack of them and take them to bed instead of a book and read them as a collective. I can compare one story to the next to assess what will work and when.
Arthur’s story scared the living daylights out of me lying in my bed, so it made sense to hold it for Halloween. It brought back childhood memories of checking cattle, changing the rugs on the ponies or letting out the dogs in the dark – half terrified but not really knowing why. Every ghost story ever heard – normally banished to the back of the mind as foolish – would come rushing back and a strange noise, or worse, eerie silence would send you scurrying inside as fast as possible. We have a number of Halloween-themed pieces this week, from Anne’s interview with Tom Dillon on his Meath-based Alright Pumpkin business to Shane Lehane’s tales about the Pooka. These are stories embedded in our culture and heritage, passed down – like our conference – connecting the generations.
Read more
Violence against women an issue that needs to be addressed
Sting in the tail could come from budget detail
It is almost inconceivable to consider that when we departed the Women & Agriculture conference in Sligo in October 2019, three years would pass before we could gather to celebrate the event again. But that is what happened.
Suffice to say, I am delighted that we are back and our 2022 conference theme is “Connecting the Generations”.
COVID-19 has affected the generations, both women and men, in different ways. Some have lost loved ones or their own health has been negatively affected. Others have had their businesses shuttered and are trying to get back on their feet through the grip of a cost of living crisis.
That latter crisis is affecting everyone, young and old. Energy and food prices are soaring and the constant barrage of negativity is affecting people, not only physically in their homes but also mentally. These issues will be discussed at our conference across our various panels.
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee outside Leinster House.
The pandemic also brought to light just how vulnerable some women are in their own homes. A few weeks back, Caitríona Morrissey spoke with our conference keynote speaker, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, on domestic abuse issues.
Many people have since written to me, both men and women, to say how they connected with the issue either through their own experiences or those of a loved one. At the conference, women will have the opportunity to speak directly to the minister on this topic and I am grateful that we are able to provide a platform for such a discussion.
A special thank you to FBD Insurance for the support for the Women & Agriculture conference again this year. If you miss it, you can catch up on the highlights and interviews online.
Halloween
This is the third week that we have carried a Reader Writes article. Each one is very different, with a unique perspective. I am grateful to every writer, amateur or professional, who takes the time to send me an idea or a fully fledged article.
One of our subeditors commented that “The secrets of the dunghill” by Jim Commins, printed two weeks ago, was her “favourite piece since she started working for the Irish Farmers Journal” last April. And I think that this week’s article by Arthur Bloomfield could be one of mine. It was some time ago that I received this short story. I like to build a stack of them and take them to bed instead of a book and read them as a collective. I can compare one story to the next to assess what will work and when.
Arthur’s story scared the living daylights out of me lying in my bed, so it made sense to hold it for Halloween. It brought back childhood memories of checking cattle, changing the rugs on the ponies or letting out the dogs in the dark – half terrified but not really knowing why. Every ghost story ever heard – normally banished to the back of the mind as foolish – would come rushing back and a strange noise, or worse, eerie silence would send you scurrying inside as fast as possible. We have a number of Halloween-themed pieces this week, from Anne’s interview with Tom Dillon on his Meath-based Alright Pumpkin business to Shane Lehane’s tales about the Pooka. These are stories embedded in our culture and heritage, passed down – like our conference – connecting the generations.
Read more
Violence against women an issue that needs to be addressed
Sting in the tail could come from budget detail
This is a subscriber-only article
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