Women & Agriculture conference 2018: making a real difference

We want to do something to help, we want to help make a difference.” These were the words of many of the Women & Agriculture attendees when Noreen Murphy of Lisheen House came off stage at the conference last week. Noreen’s talk struck a chord. The journey she took when her husband Donal was sick with mental health issues had 630 women gasping.

“We were on high alert with the local guards and with the local hospital because Donal was in such a bad place. We didn’t know what he was going to do. There were times when I spent weeks, months in my mother’s house to be safe. When we did stay at home, I had an escape route planned for my sons and I and we used to sleep in old clothes instead of pyjamas in case something would happen in the middle of the night. There was no support for Donal, there was no support for my family. And that is why I set up Lisheens House in West Cork, and I really believe there should be a Lisheens House in every area of the country.”

A standing ovation followed and that was when the requests came in. “Let’s set up a box today, we want to help Lisheens House and grow it, none of us know when we may need it,” was the consensus from the ladies. We answered that call and before the event finished on Thursday, over €4,500 had been raised.

There was no support for Donal, there was no support for my family. And that is why I set up Lisheens House in West Cork

That is the power of this conference, that is the support that is shown. Now in its 11th year, the conference has evolved from being a good day out for readers to an unmissable event in the calendar – even a support structure for many. It is all about taking a break from the farm and from life, a message that was very much conveyed by both Mary Kennedy, Presenter of Nationwide, and Briege Corkery, All-Ireland dual-star winner.

For Mary, it was last year when she experienced burnout: “I felt overwhelmed, I felt stressed. I didn’t realise I was suffering from burnout until I heard a woman talking about it on radio, and I thought, ‘that is exactly how I feel’. I took two weeks off to mind myself. You know women don’t do that enough but it really is necessary.” Similarly, Briege Corkery spoke about how she had lost the ‘magic in the game’: “Two years ago, I knew I needed to take a break from the game. I wasn’t sure if I was taking a break or retiring but you know it gave me the space to breathe and find my love for the game again.”

The future of Brexit was also an important topic of conversation on the day. Phelim O’Neill, market specialist in the Irish Farmers Journal, chaired a panel with Justin McCarthy, CEO and editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, Anne Randles, Ornua director, and Celine McAnenly, MD of Profit Partners. There was a resounding show of hands when the panel asked the crowd if we should continue to stay in the EU. As Katherine O’Leary sums up in her column, new barriers post-Brexit will cost time and money and ultimately the Irish primary producer will bear the brunt of the cost.

So what did the audience have to say about the event. Nora Fitzgerald said: “The talk about Brexit is important for farming. They [the Brexit negotiators] still say they don’t know what they are going to be doing. It is about time they knew what was happening.”

The talk about Brexit is important for farming. They [the Brexit negotiators] still say they don’t know what they are going to be doing. It is about time they knew what was happening.

Ann Leahane also said: “I have only missed one Women & Agriculture Conference over the years. I have been to all of them. I want women to speak up for themselves. I think a lot of farmers’ wives feel out of farming. We need to canvas younger women coming up along to get involved.

“The Brexit talk was my highlight. It will affect me, I have a B&B. We have a farm as well – beef and horses – it will affect us that way too.” CL

To donate to Lisheens House, please log onto www.lisheenshouse.ie.