Lanigan’s Ball at ICSA

Rather than the crude mechanism of picking a candidate’s name out of a hat, the two candidates – outgoing president, Dermot Kelleher and challenger, Sean McNamara – agreed to a rotating presidency, much like the example shown by the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael leaders in sharing the role of taoiseach. It is a two-year presidential term so Dermot will hold the office for 2023 with Sean taking over for the following year. The power-sharing agreement for the leadership includes a proviso that Sean will assume a position on the ICSA management committee in 2023. The two candidates agreed to work

together in the best interests of farmers and the ICSA, which is surely praiseworthy at a time when there are so many farming issues of greater importance than individual ambitions. Dermot Kelleher runs a suckler farm at Inchigeela in west Cork with his wife Mary and son Christopher. Alongside the sucklers, they keep a herd of pedigree Charolais cattle, with another son, Tim, breeding pedigree Zwartbles sheep. He has been president of ICSA since December 2020. Sean McNamara runs a mixed sheep, suckler, and beef farm at Lismacaffrey in Westmeath. In addition to farming, he operates a cattle and sheep haulage business as well as being a livestock agent, buying cattle for other farmers and exporting live sheep and cattle.