The Farmers March, 1966

The great farmers march of 1966 was a significant moment in the history of Irish agriculture in the mid 20th Century. Coming as it did in the year of the 50th anniversary of the 1916 rising, farmers across Ireland rose in opposition to the Department of Agriculture and its then Minister, Charles Haughey and walked for days to Dublin to protest. Amongst the many treasure throves which the INA holds is the papers of the Irish Farmers Journal newspaper, 1957-2009. Within the pages of the Farmers Journal the reasons behind the march from Cork to Dublin are outlined. The march on Dublin by farmers was a moment which is widely accepted as making the IFA, the farmers association. In 1996 looking back on the 30th anniversary of the event, the Farmers Journal newspaper noted:

The IFA commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Farmers' Rights Campaign of 1966 at an Ecumenical Service and Reception at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin.

Over 360 people attended the commemoration which brought together the surviving leading NEA members in the Campaign from every county and the present day IFA National Council members and County Chairmen.

The march

The Farmers' Rights Campaign began in Bantry on October 6,1966 when a group of farmers set out to march to Dublin. Led by NFA President, Rickard Deasy, thousands of farmers converged on Dublin, demanding the right to negotiate from a hostile Government. The march culminated in a mass rally of 30,000 farmers followed by a 20 day siege on the steps of Government Buildings. Opening the commemoration, IFA President, John Donnelly, described the Fanners' Rights Campaign as "a milestone in propelling farmers to the forefront of national and economic life".

Solid foundation

"Building on that solid foundation, the ERA has emerged as by the far the strongest representative body for farmers in Ireland. The IFA approaches the new millennium confident of the role that farmers and agriculture will play in the Irish economy in the future. "The new challenges facing farmers today again show the importance, as there was 30 years ago, of a strong powerful farm organisation," John Donnelly said. Rickard Deasy recalled with pride the commitment and self sacrifice of all those who in one way or another contributed to the events of 30 years ago which led to traumatic changes and progress inIrish farming.

At the commemoration, Rickard Deasy said the campaign was a watershed in the development of the NFA and resulted in formal Government recognition of independently organised and democratically elected farm leaders for the first time in the history of the State.

Former NFA and IFA President T.J. Maher said that the Farmers' Rights March and similar protest demonstrations by IFA to this day continued to play a vital role and were acknowledged by successive Ministers for Agriculture as strengthening their hand in negotiations in Brussels. He described explaining the 'cheque in the post' system to the general public and preserving farmers' entitlements as the greatest challenge facing the farming community today.

Unified voice

Agriculture Minister, Ivan Yates, said that in order to be effective in lobbying in both Dublin and Brussels, farmers needed a strong, unified and professional voice to represent them. He praised the professionalism of IFA, in particular the effectiveness of the Association's presence in Brussels. To mark the commemoration, IFA National Press Officer, Derek Cunningham, produced a commemorative video which tells the story of the Farmers' Rights Campaign and the subsequent founding of IFA and the success of the Association to the present day.

For more on this incident search the papers of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )