Kilkenny man elected IFA president
FORMER Gárda, farmer and father-of-two – there are many sides to Irish Farmers Association (IFA) President-elect John Bryan. But above all, Mr Bryan, 51, is a farmer. He started life on his family’s farm and now farms 230 acres of suckler beef at Cappagh, Inistioge in Co. Kilkenny. As a young man he gave up farming to train as a Gárda and spent three years stationed in Dublin from 1977. But he missed rural life and his time away from the land affected him, so after three years he packed up and came back to Kilkenny. With his wife Rena, Mr Bryan started farming in 1980 with just 89 acres of land and no stock. Twenty-five acres were part of the Bryans’ family farm and the other 64 was inherited from an aunt. The Bryans went on to have two children – James and Cathy – and build up their land and stock over the years. Mr Bryan previously sat as IFA National Livestock Chairman and served on the EU Beef Advisory Committee from 2004 to 2008. It was during his time on these committees that he shot to prominence in his field after drawing attention to the issue of Brazilian beef imports into the EU. Travelling to Brazil with a team of investigative journalists, Mr Bryan highlighted health concerns associated with the beef and was heavily involved in having the meat banned from the EU markets – a decision that helped underpin beef prices in Ireland. When he announced his intention to stand for IFA President in May, Mr Bryan was already holding the position of Kilkenny’s IFA County Chairman. The Bryan family have a history of commitment to society and to farming. John’s grandfather was a founder member of the Irish Land League in 1884 and his uncle, Dan Bryan, fought in the War of Independence, became a Captain in the Free State Army and was Director of Military Intelligence during World War II. After a resounding victory, where he claimed nearly 60% of the vote in a three-man race, Mr Bryan will become the first Kilkenny-man to hold the position of IFA President when he succeeds current president Padraig Walshe in January.
