Past and present members of the young farmers organisation celebrate fifty years of Macra na Feirme.
President Mary Robinson was led by a pipe band to the town hall in Athy which was the first national headquarters of Macra na Feirme. The first meeting of the young farmers' clubs took place in Athy 50 years ago.
Over the years, Macra na Feirme has provided training courses in farming, leadership and debating. The organisation now has around ten thousand members nationwide. Four of the founders of Macra na Feirme were in attendance as well as the designer of the Macra na Feirme emblem.
The anniversary was marked with a religious ceremony celebrated by Professor Liam Ryan of Maynooth. He spoke about the efforts of Macra na Feirme to bring hope and vision to Ireland.
President Mary Robinson praised the social dimension of Macra na Feirme as the birthplace of many other farming groups including the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA). She then unveiled a sundial at Emily Square in Athy as a memorial to Macra na Feirme.
Macra is currently mapping out a blueprint for its future.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 February 1994. The reporter is Joe O'Brien.
