Macra reunion recalled glory days of the 1970s

FORMER members of Tullow Macra na Feirme took a stroll down memory lane last week as they gathered in Griffin’s Lounge to share memories of a “special, simpler, important time”.

Founded in 1946, the club had 233 members by 1950. Membership in the ’70s was between 60 and 70, almost half from non-farming backgrounds, something former member John Murphy credits with bridging the urban/rural divide.

John was joined by Pat O’Toole in organising the event to celebrate the club's success during that decade. Tullow won the all-Ireland farm task titles in 1971 and ’72 and a record five Carlow/Wicklow efficiency finals from 1974 to ’78. Farm tasks could be anything from carpentry to bricklaying, to balancing a tractor or driving through barrels, with the ladies taking part in cookery, flower arranging and make and model. While efficiency teams consisted of ten members, each with a different task. In the run-up to competition, practice was held three times a week and on Sundays, under the expert tutelage of Pat O’Neill. The efficiency carried a prize of £500, to be used on an educational holiday.

John says that after winning the first competition, the team and 24 friends headed off on the holiday of a lifetime to Torremolinos, Spain, which “was definitely an education!" 

There were opportunities to learn new skills such as swimming, welding, farm accounts and leadership training. John told The Nationalist that he would never have ended up as a manager at Tullow Livestock Sales or as a local politician without his involvement in Macra. “I got a lot from it,” he said.

More than 60 people were welcomed on the night to peruse old photos and articles, share food, reminisce and remember friendships past.