Power sharing agreement at ICSA after tie in ballot

The two candidates for ICSA president, Dermot Kelleher and Sean McNamara, have agreed to a power sharing agreement for the next two years following a tie at last night’s election.

It has been agreed that Dermot Kelleher will remain in situ as president for 2023 and Sean McNamara will take up the office of president for 2024.

Mr McNamara will also assume a position on ICSA management committee in the new year.

The two candidates agreed to work together in the best interest of farmers and the ICSA. They are meeting Minister McConalogue this morning (Thursday December 15) to discuss the Food Vision Strategy and other issues.

Mr Kelleher is from Inchigeela in west Cork, where he runs a suckler farm with his wife Mary. They have five adult children, two of whom are farming.

Dermot’s eldest son Christopher is now involved in the home farm, where, alongside the sucklers, they keep a herd of pedigree Charolais cattle, and his other son Tim breeds pedigree Zwartbles sheep.

He was first elected president of ICSA in December 2020 and has served as ICSA national Suckler chair and Munster vice-president in the past.

Sean McNamara is a sheep, suckler, and beef farmer, farming at Lismacaffrey. He is the current ICSA national Sheep chair.

He is married to Eleanor, and they have four children ranging in ages from 19 to 25 years old, three of whom are active in the farming business.

Sean also has a cattle and sheep haulage business and is, along with his son, involved in buying stock for other farmer clients and they also have an involvement in the live export of sheep and cattle.