Breeda Horgan from Liscarroll in north Co. Cork has been announced as the overall winner of the Paddy Fitzgerald Awards 2024.

Each of the nine Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) county executives in Munster put forward a nominee for the awards, which were held in Adare, Co Limerick last night (Sunday, October 27).

In 1998, a group of farmers in Co. Limerick established the Paddy Fitzgerald Memorial Awards to remember Paddy Fitzgerald, a dairy and livestock farmer who, for 40 years, worked for farmers and his community in Limerick and across Munster. He was a Munster vice-president of IFA, a founder member of FBD, vice-chairperson of Cork Marts and a board member of Golden Vale Marts.

The awards aim to recognise IFA members that are "following in the footsteps of Paddy Fitzgerald and his support for the farming community".

The nine nominees were:

Clare - Andrew Dundas;
Cork Central - Mary Bugler;
Cork North - Breeda Horgan;
Cork West - John Joe Kelleher;
Kerry - John Stack;
Limerick - Morgan Murphy;
Tipperary North - Pat Hogan;
Tipperary South - Matt Quinlan;
Waterford - Harry Grey.

Simon Coveney, who has served as Tánaiste and minister for agriculture (as well as other ministerial portfolios) was the guest speaker at yesterday evening's award ceremony.

Overall winner Horgan joined Macra na Feirme in 1964 and became involved in IFA in the mid-1970s.

Through her work on the IFA Farm Family Committee, she was actively involved in the 'credit crisis' of the early 1980s which saw many farm families come under severe financial pressure from financial institutions.

The IFA said she was "foremost in tacking the issues of rapid interest rates and its effect on farm families", as well as helping farm families with financial burdens and, in particular, fighting farm evictions.

She has been involved in many initiatives in her local community for decades.

IFA president Francie Gorman said the Paddy Fitzgerald Awards "represent the spirit of volunteerism and the exemplary dedication of people in striving to improve their communities".

The awards are supported by FBD Trust, whose chairperson, Michael Berkery, said: “In FBD, we appreciate the value of community spirit and the important role played by volunteers up and down the country.

"Paddy Fitzgerald was a shining example of this... FBD is delighted to support this award, and we hope to see the spirit of Paddy Fitzgerald live on for many years to come," Berkery added.

IFA member Martin Stapleton, who is the chairperson of the Paddy Fitzgerald Trustees, said the awards were "an opportunity to celebrate those who put themselves forward on behalf of their neighbours and their communities".

“Every rural community can point to achievements that would not be possible without people stepping up to make it a better place. The Paddy Fitzgerald Awards celebrate those who can say they left their mark," Stapleton added.