Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) CEO Charles Gallagher has announced he will retire ahead of the association’s AGM in early May.
Gallagher, from Ballycarroll, Co Laois, has overseen the management and activity of the association for the last 14 years.
He informed IHFA members of his intentions to retire in an internal update over the weekend.
Involvement
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Gallagher said that even though he is “fully retiring”, he hopes to stay involved in his local IHFA club in Laois and Offaly, which he initially helped to set up.
He thanked the IHFA’s members for "all the good wishes" over the weekend and said his time leading the association has seen many changes.
He described how there has been a lot of progress in breeding, genomics and the use of modern science, which he hopes has benefited the breed and the association’s members.
Gallagher said the IHFA is also looking forward to a return to the regular show circuit this year following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions. He said the shows are a “hugely important” part of the association’s calendar.
Replacement
The process to fill the vacated IHFA CEO role commenced on Monday, according to Gallagher, and it is understood that a successful candidate will be selected ahead of the AGM.