Macra na Feirme has announced Sean Wallace, Sarah Condren and Jennifer Hall as the winners of its 2018 ABP national leadership awards for their contribution in driving the organisation forward. Meet the winners:

Listen to a podcast with the winners here:

Listen to "ABP Macra National Leadership awards" on Spreaker.

Seán Wallace Donoughmore, Muskerry, Co Cork

Seán Wallace is a 24-year-old software engineer who joined his local Macra club of Donoughmore in Muskerry in 2010. Since then, he has been involved in all areas of Macra at club, college, county and national level. He has served as club secretary, during which time Donoughmore went on to win its first club of the year title in 2015. The same period saw Donoughmore increase from 33 to 58 members, and take part in 100% of national competitions.

He was also on Donoughmore’s 60th anniversary dinner dance committee in 2014.

At club level, he has been active at encouraging others to get involved in Macra and experience all it has to offer, and has helped with the club’s annual fundraisers and its presence at the local carnival.

He served as Muskerry national council representative over the last three years, being elected as national secretary in 2016 and 2017. He sat on the Muskerry 2015 rally committee, and represented Macra at the AGM of the English National Federation of Young Clubs last year.

Seán was also selected as one of the leaders on the 2017 Macra na Feirme prizewinners’ trip to Rome.

Sarah Condren Johnstown/Coolgreany, Co Wexford/Wicklow

Sarah Condren comes from a dairy farm in north Wexford. She is 28, and works in the agricultural, environmental and structures division of the Department of Agriculture. She graduated from UCD with a degree in animal science in 2011, and last year completed a masters degree in ruminant nutrition.

Sarah joined Macra in 2010, and since then has held roles as treasurer and chair of the Johnstown/Coolgreany club, and has been elected on to the county executive for the last six years – as YFDG chair, YFDG secretary and her current position of county secretary. Some of her achievements include winning national titles and runners-up titles in drama and senior dairy stockjudging, receiving a gold leadership award, helping her club to win club of the year, and also winning best fancy dress costume at the Muskerry Rally. Sarah has been part of the organising committees for many events, including the Wicklow Macra Masquerade Ball and Harvest Hooley, and currently runs the Young Farmers Development Group in Wicklow.

Outside of Macra, she loves to travel and attend concerts, and is an active member of the Agricultural Science Association and the Irish Holstein Friesian Association.

Jennifer Hall, Ashford, Co Wicklow

Jennifer has been in Macra na Feirme since she was 17 years old. Through this time, she had several roles and this year is county chair for Wicklow and club secretary for her club Ashford.

Her highlights in Macra include being chosen to represent Wicklow in Miss Macra and organising the successful Harvest Hooley in Wicklow which was its largest event since the Macra Rally. Her next step in Macra is to hopefully become a national council representative.

She is currently completing her ACCA qualification and working as a trainee accountant in an insurance company in Bray, Co Wicklow. This aided her role as treasurer and she was extremely proud when she was presented with the gold award for her work. She lives at home on the family farm where they have 30 beef heifers, 145 sheep and seven horses.

It’s lambing season so she helps out on the home farm as much as possible.

In 2010, she completed a diploma in veterinary nursing which helps with this.

Jennifer enjoys working with animals and in her free time she goes horse-riding or brings her St Bernard, Harvey, for walks.

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