Tag team: Ursula Kelly challenges the status quo

Presiding over a thriving agri-business in the west of Ireland, Ursula Kelly’s story is one of grit, determination and a refusal to accept the status quo.

The managing director of Cormac Tagging, which supplies over 2.5 million animal identification tags to farmers each year, has risen through the ranks of a heavily dominated male industry to become a highly regarded and respected voice in Irish agriculture.

A native of Brownsgrove, near Tuam in Co Galway, the mother of two grew up on her family’s farm. She was inspired by her father TJ Gormley, a pedigree sheep farmer and entrepreneur whose farm supply shop next door to the mart was Ursula’s first schooling in the business side of agriculture.

“Those early years gave me more than just a basic knowledge of farming, they shaped my values, my work ethic and my passion for rural innovation,” says Ursula.

Now a thriving business, Cormac Tagging started from humble beginnings when Ursula’s parents TJ and Kitty started a sheep tagging operation, employing one part-time staff member and working out of a farm building on their land. They tendered for cattle tagging unsuccessfully for over 10 years but continued to put their all into the business after selling the farm shop and leasing out the farm.

“In August 2012, my parents asked me to come back to the business to give the cattle tender one last go – at this stage I had trained as a management accountant and was a financial controller for a chain of pubs in Galway city – so it was a massive decision to walk away from a secure, well-paid job, with no guarantees of success,” explains Ursula.

“Dad always felt that Irish farmers only had one choice when it came to cattle tags. It was a monopoly. One supplier, one price and no alternatives. Our battle began with the Department of Agriculture and their mountain of regulations and bureaucracy. It was a complete boys’ club that did not want to be challenged.

“It wasn’t a fight about tags. It was about fairness. Creating competition in a system that had none and proving that a small family run business could stand tall and argue for farmers’ right to choice.

“It took four years of fighting but in December 2016 Cormac Tagging became the second approved cattle tag supplier in the country. Our victory was so much bigger than winning the contract. This was standing up for what we believed was right and challenging the status quo. Refusing to accept the notion that this is how it’s always been.

“We are now supplying tags to farms all across Ireland and we hope to continue to grow, innovate and support the farming community.”

Influence in ag

Ursula’s influence goes far beyond her own business and as the only female founding director of AgTech Ireland, which represents agtech companies across policy, research and farm level, she is a driving force for greater representation for women in the industry.

“As women in agtech, it’s our ability to collaborate that sets us apart. Every collaboration I’ve been involved with, whether its Herdwatch, AgriNet or family businesses like Censortec and Alfco, has been driven by one simple goal: solving real problems for farmers from the ground up,” she says.

“In recent years I have become an Enterprise Ireland client which has been instrumental in helping me and my business grow. We are now at the point where we are making significant capital investments that has seen us venture into international markets with tags sent to America, Kenya and New Zealand.

“The amazing network of Irish powerhouse agri-entrepreneurs that have gone before me has been crucial to this expansion of the business into overseas markets. Again, by working together we achieve so much more.”

Greatest teacher

Ursula’s success in the industry was acknowledged when she was awarded the 2024 AIB Network Ireland Established Businesswoman of the Year, which for the first time ever went to a woman from the ag sector.

“That night in September was so special even though I never in a million years expected to win,” says Ursula, laughing.

“Having my parents with me on the night was amazing and the one moment that stands out is the massive hug we shared before I went up to the collect the award. That hug encapsulated so much. The challenges we have faced, the hard work and the deep connection we share. I knew I had to dedicate the award to them, to honour all they have done for me.”

Juggling a business along with family life is an act many struggle with and Ursula is no different. But she has plenty of support from her husband Noel who finds her suggestion that she will go farming when things calm down hilarious.

As mother to daughters Lauren (14) and Elena (11), Ursula’s commitment to challenge inequalities continues in her battle for support services for Elena who was born with Down syndrome in 2013.

“In the midst of our battle with the Department of Agriculture, my life changed forever when Elena was born. Her arrival was wrapped in a whirlwind of emotions; shock, fear, worry, sadness. Looking back I wish I could have told myself that bringing a child with Down syndrome into the world would make me a better person. Because it truly has,” she says.

“Elena has been my greatest teacher. She has taught me the meaning of happiness and the chance to see ability in everyone. Parenting a child with additional needs forces you to look at life differently. But it is a gift, one that teaches you to recognise and celebrate every single person.

Women can be each other’s worst enemies at times, and as the eldest of five daughters, I am more than qualified to say this. If we don’t have something positive to say about each other then why say anything at all

“That’s not to say there haven’t been some really stressful times, most of which I blame on the State. We don’t live in a country that prioritises the needs of children with any kind of diagnosis. Accessing services has and continues to be a battle. Vulnerable children like Elena fight their own war every single day and the least they deserve is a government willing to stand behind them and support them.”

Ursula has also been selected as one of two Irish ambassadors for a prestigious EU project supporting women in agriculture and rural areas.

The FLIARA (Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas) is led by University of Galway’s Associate Professor Maura Farrell and involves 15 EU partners across 10 countries.

“FLIARA is more than a programme, it’s a movement that highlights the often overlooked role of women in shaping the future of farming and rural communities,” says Ursula.

“This work is deeply personal and it has allowed me connect with women throughout Europe who are breaking barriers, driving change and redefining what rural innovation looks like.”

The FLIARA project team are currently working on key policies which will improve issues for women in rural areas who are commencing or scaling up a business or women engaging in agriculture or farm diversification. The FLIARA team see the need to reduce gender-related barriers to improve innovation participation through dedicated policy in the EU and in Ireland.

Ursula credits her success to the support she has from family and her team at Cormac Tagging, but is also keen to point out that women lifting other women up can only help increase female representation in agriculture.

“We need to be more supportive of each other as women in this industry and we need to recognise the fact we are not competing with each other because we are all in our own lane,” she says.

“Women can be each other’s worst enemies at times, and as the eldest of five daughters, I am more than qualified to say this. If we don’t have something positive to say about each other then why say anything at all. Some of my toughest moments on my agri-business journey have been encounters with women, and it saddens me to say that but it’s the truth.”