Limerick farmer and contractor receives Honorary Life Membership of the IFA

OUTGOING Limerick IFA chair Sean Lavery, in one of his last acts, helped present Tom Cooke with Honorary Life membership of the IFA. 

Honorary Life Membership was established to recognise the work and contributions of members of the IFA. 

Mr Lavey said the IFA could not work without members who take on branch officer positions, go to meetings and communicate their opinions on farming issues. Mr Cooke, a dairy farmer and agricultural contractor in Bottomstown, Hospital, epitomises this.

“Mr Cooke has at one time, or another, been chair and secretary of Hospital branch. He was also Limerick’s representative on the National Dairy Committee for six years. 

“Tommy Cooke was always someone whose opinion I valued when I needed to get a sense of what the county felt on a particular issue,” said Mr Lavery.

New Limerick IFA chairperson Louise Crowley congratulated Mr Cooke on being their Honorary Lifetime Membership recipient for this year.

“Tom has served Limerick farmers for many decades whether within IFA itself, or his own local community. Tom took over his family farm at a young age, and while milking cows also ran a successful agricultural contracting business. He now runs both enterprises with his sons. 

“Tom has been an encouraging influence and has welcomed many new faces to our county executive over the years, including his wife, Peggy, who is currently our Limerick Farm Families Committee representative,” said Ms Crowley. 

She thanked Tom for all his contributions over the years and “continued hard work within our farming sectors and our organisation”.

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Mrs Cooke, originally from Kilmallock, also received presentations recognising her contribution in recent times. She recently retired as a home economics teacher in John the Baptist Community School, Hospital.

The couple have five children. Nicholas is a veterinary surgeon who is assisting his dad running the dairy operation. Kevin has taken over the farm contracting business, doing silage, slurry spreading and hedge cutting. 

Ciaráin is a mechanical engineer who has recently returned from Australia. Fearghal is an actuary in London and Sarah Jane is training to be a veterinary surgeon in Poland.