By Katie Gleeson

@katieinthecountry
Dairy farmer and DWI Steering Committee Member

When your conference to-do list includes sire selection, employment law and finding a sparkly dress, it makes you very aware that dairy women are rewriting the script! That was the mood at the Dairy Women Ireland Conference 2025 in the Charleville Park Hotel, our annual flagship event that as multi-faceted as our membership. As a part of the DWI steering committee, we are well used to seeing women doing the graft on farms. What still stop me in my tracks is walking into a room and seeing hundreds of us together, including plenty of familiar Centenary Thurles faces.

Outgoing President Dr. Mary Kinston opened the day by reminding us that our work is about more than litres and milk prices, it’s also about families, communities and leaving something better behind.

Our joint keynote with MEPs Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Maria Walsh, guided by Áine Connell, was one of those sessions where you catch yourself nodding along. They spoke honestly about fear, setbacks and learning to use your voice even when you’re not the obvious person to speak. I think a lot of us recognised that feeling whether it’s at a discussion group, an AGM, a parliamentary meeting or the kitchen table.

The breakout sessions were where we rolled up our sleeves. Margaret Kelleher and Mella Briscoe dug into sire selection and smarter breeding. Cara Jane Walsh, Deirdre Walsh and Mary Cronin made employment law and payroll feel a bit less terrifying. Ger Cusack, Ned Dunphy and Michelle McGrath tackled the issue of lameness with real clarity. Mary Kinston and Elaine Hickey spoke honestly about the juggle of family, career and farm life. And I hosted Bord Bia’s head of Communications Roz O’Shaughnessy and National Dairy Council CEO Emma Walls for our breakout session “From Parlour to Public”, looking at our social license to farm, a topic that may sound abstract but has very real world implications in our farmyards (animal welfare and environmental stewardship are some examples) to our markets, and how we tell our story as dairy farmers online and offline in our communities and to the wider world. We also heard from Toomevara’s Michael Berkery of FBD Trust, who spoke about the importance of backing farmer organisations, investing in education and making sure women’s voices are heard in rooms where decisions are made.

For the first time, we didn’t just grab the car keys and head home afterwards. We had a gala dinner and fashion show, with workwear like Portwest sharing the catwalk with the sparkly dresses. It was great craic, but it also said something important: dairy women can be practical, professional and enjoy a party, all at once. Incoming president, Fiona O’Donnell closed proceedings with a promise of growing ambitions and steering Dairy Women Ireland into 2026 on a strong base.

I drove home tired but energised, convinced of one thing: whatever 2026 throws at Irish dairy, a sector that backs each other is far better placed to face it, together.

Find out more at www.dairywomenireland.ie and follow us on social media @dairywomenireland to keep up to date with our latest news and updates.