Margaret Donnelly: It’s difficult to get elected on a farming ticket but farming needs its voice to be heard
Having 'farmer' on your CV or being able to call on the farming community to support you during an election is not a negative, but it by no means guarantees a seat for anyone.
There were mixed results for a slew of candidates drawing on the farming community as election votes were counted over the weekend in the European and local elections.
On the European side, Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher, a Cork-based farmer, looks set to retain his seat, while Independent TD Michael McNamara, who runs the family farm in Scariff, Co Clare and practices as a barrister, also looks to be in with a strong shout to secure a seat in the South constituency for Europe.
