The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is a national organisation to represent the interests of all sectors of farming in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. It was founded in January 1955 as the National Farmers Association (NFA), aiming to lead Irish farmers out of the depression and deprivation which had dominated rural Ireland for decades.

The NFA merged in the 1960s with four smaller organisations representing specific sectors (including Leinster Milk Producers (now Fresh Milk Producers), beet growers and horticulture) to form the Irish Farmers Association – the IFA.

In the 1972 referendum on Irish membership of the European Economic Community

European Economic Community

The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...

, the IFA campaigned for a "yes" vote, seeking access to European markets and higher prices for agricultural produce.

The IFA's head office is at the Irish Farm Centre, in Bluebell, Dublin. It also maintains 12 regional offices and an office in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

.

It is considered one of the most powerful lobby groups in Irish politics.

List of presidents

Year	Name	Origin
1955-?	Juan Greene	County Kildare County Kildare County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
1961-1966	Rickard Deasy	County Tipperary County Tipperary County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
1967-?	T.J. Maher	County Tipperary County Tipperary County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
	Paddy Lane Paddy Lane Paddy Lane is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected to the European Parliament at the 1989 European election for the Munster constituency. He was a member of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development in the European Parliament...	County Clare County Clare -History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
1980-1984	Donal Cashman	County Cork County Cork County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
1984-1988	Joe Rea	County Tipperary County Tipperary County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
1988-1990	Tom Clinton	County Meath County Meath County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
1990-1994	Alan Gillis Alan Gillis Alan Leslie Gillis is a former Irish Fine Gael politician and Farmers' leader. He was president of the Irish Farmers' Association from 1990–94. He was elected to the European Parliament at the 1994 European election for the Leinster constituency. He was a member of the Committee on Agriculture and...	County Kildare County Kildare County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
1994-1998	John Donnelly John Donnelly (I.F.A.) John Donnelly is an Irish farmer who was President of the Irish Farmers' Association, 1994-1998.A native of Abby-Duniry, County Galway, Donnelly was born in the townland of Conicare. He was educated at the local national school and for one term at St. Molaisses College, Portumna.He became a member...	County Galway County Galway County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
1998-2002	Tom Parlon Tom Parlon Tom Parlon is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Laois–Offaly constituency from 2002 to 2007 and was also the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works...	County Offaly County Offaly County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
2002-2006	John Dillon	County Limerick County Limerick It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
2006-2010	Padraig Walshe	County Laois County Laois County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
2010-	John Bryan	County Kilkenny County Kilkenny County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...