Coming together

In the autumn of 1996, a group of women came together to complete a series of farm management courses organised for them by Teagasc in North Tipperary. Little did they think that, over 20 years later, they would still be together with friendships forged for life.

It all happened simply enough, says Catherine Mullally, who has been chair of Focus Group ’97 since the beginning. “David Collins was CEO of Teagasc in North Tipperary, and when we finished the courses he asked if we would like to stay together as a group. And we did. Today we have 65 members, who all farm within a 20-mile radius of Thurles.”

Catherine says that when they started, some members didn’t know anyone in the group. “But as we had so much in common, the chat and talk began to flow. Many of the women were farming with spouses, and some in their own right. Many had no involvement in any other group and felt isolated.”

What they had in common was a keen interest in learning about farming. So in 1997, they set up monthly meetings at the Teagasc centre in Thurles.

“We covered everything: new regulations and schemes such as Area Aid; the blue register,; tagging and registering calves; the Basic Payment scheme; and the REPS scheme. We went on farm walks and these were a great experience.”

Education for life

But it wasn’t just farming they learned about. Physical and mental health, food safety, crime and fire prevention, consumer affairs, succession planning, budgeting and pensions have been discussed at their meetings.

When the group started, the IFA was encouraging more women into the association. Its equality officer, Mary Carroll, gave them an opportunity to voice their feelings about the lack of female representation in farm organisations, the difficulty farm women had in relation to State pensions and other issues.

“The situation has improved in the IFA, and most local branches now have a woman delegate. And in what has to be a first, it’s great to see two women elected as IFA county chairs in Tipperary: Imelda Walsh in North Tipp and Erica O’Keeffe in South Tipp,” says Catherine. She cites changes to the State pension for farm spouses as another advance, but says more needs to be done.

Members of the group have attended the Women & Agriculture conference organised by Irish Country Living and have also been active in making submissions to government bodies. They have celebrated International Rural Women’s Day and taken courses in everything from the Farm Profit Monitor to food enterprise, computers, fitness, self-development and healthy eating. Recently some members are learning how to play the keyboard.

“Each year, come the month of May, we take to the road on our annual outing. As some of the ladies say: ‘We’d never be anywhere only for the group.’ Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a night out for a meal and concert. We never discussed going abroad, as there are so many great places to visit here at home.”

Also during May they take an evening out to visit a local parish and have a talk on its historical features. “As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we headed to Kilcommon and Upperchurch, where we had a wonderful talk by Fr Dan Woods on the development of their Prayer Garden and the Pilgrim Path sculpture that depicts Celtic symbols from the surrounding areas.”

Finding their voice

The group continue to support organisations such as the IFA farm family committee, which campaigns on issues that affect farm women. It welcomes new members and is delighted to see new women in agriculture groups emerging around the country.

Looking back on 20 years, Catherine says the members are very proud to have played a role in giving a voice to farm women and in bringing about changes that have improved their lives. “We know more needs to be done and we feel it is farm women who need to do it for themselves. We have certainly found our voices,” she says.

Over 20 years, the group has seen many changes in farming with larger enterprises – especially in dairying; use of technology; a never-ending line of rules, regulations and inspections; bank changes; book work; and form filling. But despite this, they believe the farm and family are still at the heart of local communities.

“On behalf of the group, I would like to thank all who helped, especially David Collins, who set us on the road and Donal Mullane and the Teagasc staff and all the speakers who kept us there,” says Catherine. CL

Congratulations

Congratulating the group on its 20th anniversary, Donal Mullane, Teagasc regional manager for Tipperary said: “The group has set a blueprint for farm women’s involvement in discussion groups far and wide. Farm women are centrally involved in Irish agriculture at all levels, from primary production to advisory and processing. The group is a prime example of what can be achieved by networking and sharing ideas”.

CHRISTINE CLEARY talks about what the group has meant to her. “After working in Dublin until 2009, I returned fulltime to spend my retirement my native Tipperary. My roots were firmly planted in the farm that was my childhood home.

About five years ago, I bumped into a former schoolmate with whom I had lost contact. She introduced me to Focus Group ’97. There was a welcome and acceptance of my different situation. The group has added a dimension to my life that provides friendship, learning opportunities, networks and social events. There is a great dynamic among the members. Farming can be particularly isolating to us womenfolk. Focus Group ’97 is continually opening up new areas of interest that would not otherwise be available for mature women in the countryside.”

Of Focus Group ’97, Margaret M Bourke says it has been a great source of companionship and given her much more confidence over the years. “I made solid friendships, was educated on different topics and there is also fantastic social interaction in the group. Before Focus ’97, I had been caring for a number of years and also farming with my husband. I didn’t seem to have any free time to do things for myself. But with the group forming, it gave me enthusiasm to get involved and be part of a fantastic group of ladies, where we continuously aim to better ourselves with bright new ideas to keep us focused on the world around us.”

Bridget Fogarty attends Focus ’97’s monthly meeting in Thurles and a speaker at one such meeting had a huge effect on her life. “Ten years ago, there was a doctor in giving us a talk on women’s health. It was October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, and she was telling us what to look out for. I thought to myself: ‘I have some of the symptoms that she is describing.’ I spoke to her at the end of the meeting, and she told me to go to my GP. By Christmas I had my first operation, and it is thanks to this group that I am here today.”

Tessie Maher has been a member of Focus ’97 since the start and says if it wasn’t for the group, she would never have gone anywhere. She explains there is a special thanks to be paid to Catherine, who has been paramount in helping the group grow. “The group is very good for women in the home, and we have had loads of Christmas parties and outings over the years, these are places that we would not have visited if it had not been for the group.”

Due to her father being in ill-health, Rosarie Maher left school to go farming fulltime at 14. “Focus ’97 started, and that was really my opening to see what other women were going through and to see the way things were being done by other people. At this stage, I was married and had two girls. One of them has followed in my footsteps and has stayed at home working on the land. The pleasure I have gotten out of joining Focus ’97 is unbelievable. I saw what other woman were going through. I thought I was the only one – but we are all the one. We all have something in common and that is why I joined, because of the common denominator that is farming.”