‘It’s all about handouts rather than working the land’

Five decades after taking part in the ‘Long March’ for farmers’ rights, Jackie Sullivan believes farmers today are no better off , writes

IT WAS a wet, dirty October morning when Jackie Sullivan finally arrived at the gates of Leinster House. The year was 1966. By his side was an army of 30,000 fellow farmers from all across the country.

It took the Cork contingent 10 days to walk the 217 miles from Bantry to the capital.

By night they slept in cramped caravans set out at local marts in Tipperary, Laois and Kildare.

With the support of their families and communities, the defiant farmers, represented by more than 60 farm organisations at the time, demanded one thing from then minister of agriculture, Charles Haughey — recognition.

They remained there, sitting on the steps, for almost three weeks until their collective voice was finally heard.

“It was our duty as farmers to take part in the ‘Long March’. We wanted recognition more than anything else. We wanted to stand up to the government and get things done, to ensure that we wouldn’t be doubled crossed. We wanted a united voice for all farmers,” said Mr Sullivan, a native of Bere Island, who was honoured for taking part in the ‘Long March’ at a special IFA 50-year commemoration last week.

Farmers were frustrated because of low prices for cattle, and milk and very limited scope to expand production because of poor export markets and the burden of paying rates.

“It rumbled on for months but we walked away with a new sense of purpose, a collective strength. Haughey got shifted and little by little things improved,” said the 77-year-old dairy farmer who worked 30 acres of marginal land on the island at the time.

Although money wasn’t great, the father of five said the social side of farming on the 4,900 acre island made up for low turnovers.

Farmers generally weren’t in debt, land was rented relatively cheaply and, during the winter months, many worked on construction sites in London or spent time scallop fishing to gather extra cash to extend their holdings.

“You’d have no more than €20 in your pocket but you didn’t owe anything. There were 70 milk suppliers going to the creamery on the island so the social side was very good,” he said.

In fact, looking back, Mr Sullivan believes farmers were better off during the 60s, 70s and 80s, than they are today.

“Things have gotten good in some ways but for many farmers the reality is they are going down more than coming up.

“Times have changed a lot, we had little money but at least we owned the farms, the banks didn’t,” he said.

Coming from a farming family with a long history of emigration — long and short term — Mr Sullivan said it was much easier for his father and himself to work abroad and return home to farming.

Jackie emigrated to New York in 1949 with his mother and father. He was nine years old. They returned to Bere Island four years later during the Korean War. His parents were also worried about the emerging drug culture in NYC.

“We could emigrate to America or England but you could come back and farm again no problem.

“Now you can’t do that because you have to have all sorts of Green Certs and everything else and that makes a big difference,” he said.

“There are loads more complications and red tape for