Dara Calleary is a proud Mayo man, as evidenced by the red and green flag behind his desk in Agriculture House. They are also the colours of his hometown, Ballina, which this week celebrated the life of Jack Charlton, its famous adopted son.

How to pronounce his surname?

RTÉ says “Cal-leery” but his neighbours say it’s “Cal-lairy”. It’s a surname synonymous with Fianna Fáil in Mayo since his grandfather Phelim was elected to the Dáil in 1952. Between him, Dara’s father Seán, and the new agriculture minister, the family has served 49 years of the last 68 years in the Dáil.

Armed with a degree in business and politics from Trinity College, he worked in banking and with Chambers Ireland

Farmers in Mayo with experience of lobbying him on farm issues and putting him through his paces at local meetings describe him as “approachable”, “engaging” and “a good listener who quickly gets a good grasp of an issue”.

Armed with a degree in business and politics from Trinity College, he worked in banking and with Chambers Ireland.

He became a TD in 2007, and within two years was appointed as Minister of State for Labour Affairs at the Department of Enterprise and Employment.

He rose through the party and when Micheál Martin appointed him as deputy leader in 2018, it came as no surprise.

The reaction to Martin’s decision not to appoint him to a ministry last month caused consternation in the west. But things change quickly in politics, and he now takes the reins of agriculture at a defining moment for the sector.