After 28 days and nights in the Bord Bia lobby, the five IFA farmers who occupied a sit-in protest over the chairmanship of the State agency emerged to a rapturous reception in Dublin city centre on Monday evening.
The conclusion of their protest followed an agreement whereby Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin will not be involved in an independent governance review into matters raised by the IFA in recent weeks.
The sit-in protest was entering its fifth week as the association continued with its demand that Mr Murrin be removed as chair, due to a conflict of interest.
Last month it emerged that Dawn Farm Foods, owned by the Bord Bia chair, had imported Brazilian beef in 2025 for use in the manufacture of some meat products.
While Mr Murrin remains as chair, the Bord Bia Five as they have become known, stood down their protest following confirmation he would not chair any meetings for the duration of the review.
A statement issued by the Bord Bia board on Monday evening confirmed a proposal by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon had been agreed by both sides in the dispute.
“The terms of reference of an independent governance review proposed by the minister were agreed. This review will be commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and is to be completed by 30 April, 2026.
“During the period of the review, the normal schedule of board meetings will continue, and in the interests of moving forward, the board and the chair have agreed that these meetings will be facilitated by another current board member.”
Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia CEO, left, attends the board meeting at the headquaters in Ballsbridge on Monday. \ Philip Doyle
Emotional rollercoaster
Speaking exclusively to Irish Country Living during their sit-in; Patrick McCormick, IFA treasurer, Teresa Roche, IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chair, Tom Byrne, Wicklow IFA, Christine Friel, Donegal IFA and Richard Moeran, Cavan IFA, spoke of what it was like living in a 30ft sq space.
“Little did we know how much this would escalate but we are strong and united and this is empowering us all,” said Teresa before the agreement was made.
“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 and 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.”
Public order unit
Patrick said the group faced difficult situations during their sit-in, but they remained united and determined to see the protest through.
“In the first few hours of us being here, the Gardaí asked us to leave and we said we weren’t leaving as we weren’t trespassers, we were visitors,” he explained.
“They said they would get the public order unit to remove us and a couple of hours later the unit did arrive outside.
“Six Garda cars, armed detectives, and two vans of the public order unit, in full riot gear with shields and helmets. They didn’t get out of the vans but they were there because the people outside were sending photos in to us.
“We weren’t nervous or afraid. We wouldn’t have put up a fight if the Gardaí had come in and shepherded us out. We would have left. But they couldn’t remove us because we weren’t trespassers. Unless Bord Bia made the specific request to remove us, the Gardaí weren’t entitled to do so.”
While most of the group didn’t realise their action, which began on 3 February, would lead to such a lengthy or controversial occupation of the building, others had come prepared.
“In my position as national treasurer, it was my plan all along to come into the building and do a sit-in,” added Patrick.
“I had a small bag and was prepared to stay a few nights unlike most of the others who had nothing with them.”
Tom Byrne also intended an extended stay in the capital. “I’m 69 next birthday and I did know what I was doing. I had no hesitation in coming up because I knew I would be staying,” he said.
“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.”
Renewed engagement
Christine was less prepared but no less determined to hold her ground until the group achieved its aim.
“The only person I knew coming into this was Teresa, I’d never seen the other three before in my life and I definitely didn’t know any of them as well as I do now. 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 said with a laugh.
“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.
“My family know why I’m here. Everyday it’s the same question; ‘have we got him out yet?’ They know I won’t be home until Larry is gone. They’re as dug into it as much as we are here.”
Richard’s hope is that the relationship between the IFA, Government and Bord Bia would be stronger as a result of their action.
“I think the dynamic in the relationship between the IFA and Bord Bia had swung to a situation where Bord Bia had the upper hand over the last number of years,” he believes.
“I think that if we re-establish that relationship after what is happening now, we will have a better-balanced relationship where the IFA will have a greater input and farmers will be better represented within Bord Bia.”
The IFA maintained a strong presence outside Bord Bia head quarters throughout the month long protest at the State agency's headquaters in Ballsbridge. \ Philip Doyle
Welcoming the resolution, Minister Heydon said the new Farmers Forum being progressed by Bord Bia would provide an opportunity for renewed engagement between farmers and Bord Bia.
“I am pleased that my proposal for an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia has been accepted and that the ongoing protest has been stood down,” he said in a statement issued on Monday evening.
“It is now time to come together to support the essential work of Bord Bia, which delivers important benefits for farmers and the agri food sector as a whole.”
After 28 days and nights in the Bord Bia lobby, the five IFA farmers who occupied a sit-in protest over the chairmanship of the State agency emerged to a rapturous reception in Dublin city centre on Monday evening.
The conclusion of their protest followed an agreement whereby Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin will not be involved in an independent governance review into matters raised by the IFA in recent weeks.
The sit-in protest was entering its fifth week as the association continued with its demand that Mr Murrin be removed as chair, due to a conflict of interest.
Last month it emerged that Dawn Farm Foods, owned by the Bord Bia chair, had imported Brazilian beef in 2025 for use in the manufacture of some meat products.
While Mr Murrin remains as chair, the Bord Bia Five as they have become known, stood down their protest following confirmation he would not chair any meetings for the duration of the review.
A statement issued by the Bord Bia board on Monday evening confirmed a proposal by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon had been agreed by both sides in the dispute.
“The terms of reference of an independent governance review proposed by the minister were agreed. This review will be commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and is to be completed by 30 April, 2026.
“During the period of the review, the normal schedule of board meetings will continue, and in the interests of moving forward, the board and the chair have agreed that these meetings will be facilitated by another current board member.”
Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia CEO, left, attends the board meeting at the headquaters in Ballsbridge on Monday. \ Philip Doyle
Emotional rollercoaster
Speaking exclusively to Irish Country Living during their sit-in; Patrick McCormick, IFA treasurer, Teresa Roche, IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chair, Tom Byrne, Wicklow IFA, Christine Friel, Donegal IFA and Richard Moeran, Cavan IFA, spoke of what it was like living in a 30ft sq space.
“Little did we know how much this would escalate but we are strong and united and this is empowering us all,” said Teresa before the agreement was made.
“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 and 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.”
Public order unit
Patrick said the group faced difficult situations during their sit-in, but they remained united and determined to see the protest through.
“In the first few hours of us being here, the Gardaí asked us to leave and we said we weren’t leaving as we weren’t trespassers, we were visitors,” he explained.
“They said they would get the public order unit to remove us and a couple of hours later the unit did arrive outside.
“Six Garda cars, armed detectives, and two vans of the public order unit, in full riot gear with shields and helmets. They didn’t get out of the vans but they were there because the people outside were sending photos in to us.
“We weren’t nervous or afraid. We wouldn’t have put up a fight if the Gardaí had come in and shepherded us out. We would have left. But they couldn’t remove us because we weren’t trespassers. Unless Bord Bia made the specific request to remove us, the Gardaí weren’t entitled to do so.”
While most of the group didn’t realise their action, which began on 3 February, would lead to such a lengthy or controversial occupation of the building, others had come prepared.
“In my position as national treasurer, it was my plan all along to come into the building and do a sit-in,” added Patrick.
“I had a small bag and was prepared to stay a few nights unlike most of the others who had nothing with them.”
Tom Byrne also intended an extended stay in the capital. “I’m 69 next birthday and I did know what I was doing. I had no hesitation in coming up because I knew I would be staying,” he said.
“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.”
Renewed engagement
Christine was less prepared but no less determined to hold her ground until the group achieved its aim.
“The only person I knew coming into this was Teresa, I’d never seen the other three before in my life and I definitely didn’t know any of them as well as I do now. 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 said with a laugh.
“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.
“My family know why I’m here. Everyday it’s the same question; ‘have we got him out yet?’ They know I won’t be home until Larry is gone. They’re as dug into it as much as we are here.”
Richard’s hope is that the relationship between the IFA, Government and Bord Bia would be stronger as a result of their action.
“I think the dynamic in the relationship between the IFA and Bord Bia had swung to a situation where Bord Bia had the upper hand over the last number of years,” he believes.
“I think that if we re-establish that relationship after what is happening now, we will have a better-balanced relationship where the IFA will have a greater input and farmers will be better represented within Bord Bia.”
The IFA maintained a strong presence outside Bord Bia head quarters throughout the month long protest at the State agency's headquaters in Ballsbridge. \ Philip Doyle
Welcoming the resolution, Minister Heydon said the new Farmers Forum being progressed by Bord Bia would provide an opportunity for renewed engagement between farmers and Bord Bia.
“I am pleased that my proposal for an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia has been accepted and that the ongoing protest has been stood down,” he said in a statement issued on Monday evening.
“It is now time to come together to support the essential work of Bord Bia, which delivers important benefits for farmers and the agri food sector as a whole.”
SHARING OPTIONS