Tipperary dairy farmer, Sean Kelly, has spoken of his jubilation after being crowned this year’s winner of Macra’s famed Mr. Personality competition.

The 32-year-old told Agriland that he has been a proud member of his local Macra club in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, for the past decade, having originally joined the club while studying at Gurteen Agricultural College in Ballingarry.

Kelly’s personal Macra story is peppered with personal triumphs, having risen up the ranks from grassroots membership to the helm with prestigious titles, including:

Club chair;
County treasurer;
National council representative (NCR) in north Tipperary for three years;
Sports officer;
Young farmer development group chair;
Member of the Macra board of directors 2023-2024;
Vice-chair of the Agricultural Affairs Committee 2023-2024;
Current chair of Agricultural Affairs Committee.

The humble Nenagh native has accredited the organisation for transforming his self-confidence, which he has branded the biggest achievement in his Macra journey to date.

Sean Kelly explained: “I’ve gone from someone who would have had very poor self confidence, especially at a younger age around public speaking. The thought alone of speaking in front of a group of people would have sent me running a million miles away.

“Now I’m someone who’s actively representing and voicing the concerns of young farmers at meetings as chair of Macra’s Agricultural Affairs Committee. That’s probably the biggest accolade I’ve achieved.

“The great thing about Macra is that it can push you out of your comfort zone because when you take on those roles, you have a responsibility to deliver, so there is huge room for personal growth within the organisation.”

After his election as representative of north Tipperary in the county rounds, Kelly went on to face 24 other contenders at the nationals, which took place over the course of last weekend (April 25-27) at The Hub in Kilkenny city.

2025 Macra Mr. Personality competitors. Source: Macra Facebook

The competition comprised various stages of evaluation, including both a staged public and private interview, as well as ice-breaker activities like bowling, jiving and team bonding exercises.

Speak about their jiving exploits, Kelly commented: “I don’t know if you could even call it jiving, we were attempting to jive but God knows we weren’t the most coordinated of groups.”

The interviews touched on the candidate’s personal lives, the extent of their Macra involvement and community engagement over the years, which were then assessed by the judges in attendance:

Agricultural journalist, Martin Merrick;
Kilkenny Rose of Tralee, Lisa O’Rourke;
Kilkenny Mart auctioneer, George Candler.

Despite having 10 years of Macra membership and leadership roles under his belt, 2025 marked the first time Kelly competed for the title of Mr. Personality.

According to Kelly, he faced stiff competition remarking that all of the hopefuls would have made a worthy winner.

“I suppose I always would have felt that there was always someone who would be a better fit to represent north Tipperary,” he continued.

“But this year I just said, you know what? I’ve been in the organisation a long time, I’ve done a lot for the organisation so I’ll throw my name in the hat and see how I go. I was just fortunate on the night to win the title.

For Kelly, his personal journal of self development has run in parallel with his own club’s success over the years, which the farmer claimed is currently thriving.

He added: “I suppose I knew going down that I had done a huge amount for the organisation, but I have also gained a huge amount from it as well.

“I kind of look at Macra the same way I look at the farm – every farmer wants to pass the farm on in a better place than it was when they received it, and that’s my aim with Macra.

“Even with my own club in Nenagh, it was tough going for a few years. Myself and Bill Gleeson would have to swap chair and secretary roles every year because there was no one else who wanted to do it.

“But now, for the first time ever, neither of us have a role in our club because new blood has come through which is absolutely brilliant to see, especially given how isolated rural Ireland has become. Macra is an absolutely fantastic outlet to have for young people in these areas.”

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