Men do 'not own' the title of farmer in Ireland - Louth TD
Women should stop saying that they are "helping out" on the family farm and claim the title of farmer for themselves, according to one TD.
St. Brigid’s Day on February 1 not only heralds the beginning of spring but it also celebrates the saint's patronage of farming and rural life.
The Saint Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday, is according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, a "unique opportunity to reflect upon the vital role that Irish women have played in building, sustaining and inspiring our nation".
But today (Monday, February 2) it might also be an opportunity to look at how women in Irish agriculture are viewed in 2026.
Female farmer
Is a female farmer seen in the same light as their male counterpart in Ireland these days?
According to the Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan, in many instances the answer is no.
Deputy McGreehan believes that there has been a tendency for the story of Irish agriculture to have been "told in one voice; deep, male, and utterly incomplete".
"We need to change that," she believes.
Last year a study by researchers at Maynooth University (MU), which was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), showed that farm incomes for women farmers "are consistently lower "than for male farmers and that they receive lower direct farm payments.
The HER-SELF, or Highlighting pathways to Empower Rural women to have Sustainable and Equitable Livelihoods in Farming study also highlighted that female farm holders represented just 13.4% of farm holders in Ireland, with little increase since 1991.
According to Deputy McGreehan, it is time for women to take control of the story for themselves now.
"If you are planting or harvesting, you are a farmer.
"If you spend hours on farm finances, applying for payments and doing the books, you are a farmer.
"So, the next time you go to describe yourself, or any other women, as 'helping out' stop and tell yourself - if you are up at 6:00a.m to do the milking, you are a farmer," she urged.
According to Deputy McGreehan, anyone who comes from a farm can tell you that "women are the centre of farm life".
She said: "My own family is no exception. Both my granny Mary Rose and my mother Carmel could, in every practical sense, be described as farmers.
"They knew the land and understood the animals. They could tell you which calf was coming early and what to do with a sick lamb, saving the cows’ beestings milk to give to lambs who needed it.
"I remember my mother staying up late ensuring lambs and calves made it till morning and still she put our breakfast and dinner on the table because women make it all work. We make sure the farmyard functions, children are fed, and the books balance - if we don’t who else would?"
The Louth TD said that while it is often stressed that "women in agriculture are an absolute priority", at the same time they are "rarely referred to as farmers".
This year has been declared as the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the United Nations (UN).
A global campaign in 2026 will spotlight the essential roles women play across agri-food systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognised.
The UN has identified that across the world key issues women face in agri-food systems include land tenure, financial and technical constraints, and limited access to services and education.
According to Deputy McGreehan, men do not own the title of farmer in Ireland.
"They don’t give out the title either, they take it and women need to take it also.
"Only then will we achieve the parity women farmers so deserve. For the work done to have any sort of impact, we must have a complete shift in terms of how we talk about women in agriculture," she said.
