A month of sleeping on floors, body washing and having no more than a 30ft square area to move around in hasn’t done anything to dim the spirits of the five farmers continuing their sit-in protest at Bord Bia headquarters in central Dublin.

Speaking exclusively on a special Irish Farmers Journal podcast, Patrick McCormick, Teresa Roche, Tom Byrne, Christine Friel and Richard Moeran share what life has been like over the past 26 days as they seek the removal of Bord Bia chair, Larry Murrin.

Mr Murrin is no longer acceptable to the vast majority of Irish farmers following the revelation that he uses imported Brazilian beef in his company’s meat products.

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“We are comfortable enough but we don’t have any of our home comforts, we’ve no television and we really miss having a fridge,” explains Patrick.

“The temperature in here fluctuates quite a bit and it can get quite warm, but then with the air conditioning it can also get very, very cold and we have no control over that.”

While Pat and Tom Byrne knew coming to Dublin on 3 February they were heading to a sit-in protest, Teresa says she never expected to still be in the Bord Bia building heading into the month of March.

“Little did we know how much this would escalate but we are strong and united and this is empowering us all,” she says.

Rollercoaster

“The conditions during the first week were very difficult and it was an emotional rollercoaster. This is an abnormal setting, a complete life-changing experience for all of us, the conditions, along with the presence of security and gardaí... a lot of us would never have been in a position like that before.

“Our average day has become quite balanced, we have a good routine, we have two drop-offs for meals. We’re up early, we body wash and clean ourselves and change our clothes and have our breakfast before attending to our own private meetings with our businesses and our farms and we also have IFA negotiations going on. We haven’t been idle, our presence in here is about creating dialogue and we are continuing that.”

Tom says he didn’t hesitate when asked by Patrick if he was willing to take part in a sit-in protest.

“I’m not really having a problem sticking it in here, I have done this before. Not for this length of time but this is my third or fourth raid on Government departments."

Sleeping bag

“I’m 69 next birthday so I did know what I was doing when I came into the building. I bought a ground sheet and a sleeping bag on my way up and had some clothes and toiletries, so I was well prepared.

“The food situation is working really well, we put in our request the evening before and we have been mixing up our breakfasts, even though I am the breakfast roll man, but we are varying our lunches and dinners too. We’ve had Chinese but they haven’t converted me to Indian food yet. Alice Doyle has cooked some dinners for us, so the food element of it is fine. We probably wouldn’t get fed as well at home.”

Christine says that with everyone committed to the cause, there hasn’t been a cross word exchanged so far.

“We are getting on the very best, and the one thing we have achieved is getting Tom to do the dishes with the marigolds on,” she says.

“I have two wee boys at home, Ryan and Hugh, and it is clear they miss me not being there but they know why I’m here and they know I won’t be home until Larry’s gone.

“I talk to the boys first thing in the morning and the minute they come in from school I’m talking to them again. It’s not normal but it’s keeping things as normal as we can.

“This problem isn’t going away so in order to get everything up and running again, they need to get Larry out, so we are committed to that.”

Future relationships

Richard says he is not concerned at the long-term impact the protest may have on future relationships between the IFA and Government.

“These things are disruptive but sometimes when you have a really good row and the air cleared, you start fresh, rebuild and you move forward.

“The relationship between the IFA and Bord Bia need[s] to start fresh, and it has to go forward. We’re all adults here, we need to get on at the end of the day.”