In 2016 South Tipperary Farm Relief Services celebrates forty five years of services to farmers in the county. In 1971, a group of young farmers involved in Macra na Feirme set up the first Farm Relief Service in Ireland.
This was leadership at its very best – a vision of the future – with membership of the European Economic Community (E.E.C) on the horizon and becoming a reality two years later.
Initially, the new group provided relief milking as its sole service. This was a response to the expansion mode on dairy farms mainly due to the potential offered by our pending membership of the E.E.C and its access to greater markets.
The aim was to give farmers a competent relief milking service to enable farm families to have an occasional weekend off, or during sickness or holidays, secure in the knowledge that their cows would be milked efficiently to a high standard.
Macra na Feirme at South Tipperary executive set up the Farm Relief Service in 1971.
The first committee of five were; Pat O’Dwyer, chairman; Michael Carew, Michael Slattery, Frank Blackwell and Dan Ryan. In October of 1971 Richard Lanigan was appointed chairman of South Tipperary Executive and Farm Relief Service and, together with Pat O’Dwyer, they continued as co-ordinators for a number of years, Pat looked after west of the county and Richard took care of the south, including Fethard, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir
The influence of other farm leaders at that time played a part in the formation of the service. TJ Maher was national resident of the IFA and Joe Rea was county chairman of South Tipperary executive of the IFA.
Also influential in the setting up of this vital service through encouragement was the chief agricultural officer for South Tipperary, Dave Hurley.
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