09.00 Registration.

09.30 Official welcome from Mairead Lavery, editor Irish Country Living.

09.40 Official opening by Orla Murphy, Marketing Insights manager, FBD.

09.50 Introduction by Justin McCarthy, editor Irish Farmers Journal.

10.00 Professor Mary Daly, Royal Irish Academy: Professor Daly will give a historical account on the massive changes that rural women have encountered in the last century.

10.20 Professor Sally Shortall, Queen’s University Belfast: Looking at more recent times, professor Shortall will give an overview of the role of female farmers and farmers’ wives and the changes that have occurred in the last few years.

10.40 Dr Anne Cassidy, School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway: What happens to the children who don’t inherit the farm? Dr Anne Cassidy looks at how being from a farm forms a person’s identity and what happens when it is passed onto a sibling.

11.00 Tanya Watson, PhD candidate, School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway: Tanya will share some results from her research on women and property ownership on farms in Ireland, discussing the possibilities that ownership holds for women’s active participation in agriculture.

11.20 Coffee break.

11.40 UN Year of Family Farming regional winners We meet the regional winners of our UN Year of Family Farming competition where our four candidates will give a brief overview of the obstacles they have overcome to drive their family farm forward.

12.20 PRSI speaker – Aideen Mooney and Gillian Sweeney: Confused about your PRSI entitlements and the benefits you should be receiving, especially if you have a fragmented work history? Then this is advice not to be missed.

12.40 Austin Finn, The Land Mobility Service: Austin will give a brief overview of Macra’s Land Mobility Service, explaining how it helps match farmers interested in long leases and collaborative arrangements.

12.50 Surprise act.

13.15 Lunch.

14.30 Clodagh McKenna, chef: The festive season is just around the corner and Clodagh will be preparing a smoked salmon dish that will get your taste buds flowing, along with a mascarpone trifle that your family will be talking about for years.

15.20 Karl Henry, Operation Transformation: While we all enjoy a sweet treat, Operation Transformation’s Karl Henry will teach us how to be healthier in our everyday life.

16.00 Margaret Farrelly, Clonarn Clover Ltd: Clonarn Clover is now one of the biggest supplies of free-range eggs in Ireland. Margaret will talk about growing the business with her husband while raising a family, and her time on RTÉ’s The Secret Millionaire.

16.25 Maura Canning, IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs chairperson: The issue of farm safety is one which can never be ignored. Maura will discuss how some campaigns are making a difference.

16.35 Jenny Kent: Jenny’s husband Bobby developed early onset Alzheimer’s. Jenny discusses the impact of this on the family.

16.55 Marian Harkin, Independent MEP: Between representing 15 counties in the EU Parliament and driving forward the Common Agriculture Policy, Marian Harkin promises a very interesting presentation.

17.30 Closing act, Mary Byrne from The X-Factor will close our conference and blow your socks off with her stunning and powerful voice.

18.00 Conference close.