Groundbreaking Kildare woman to lead prestigious farm research body

In 1999, Kildare native Gráinne Dwyer made history by becoming the first female recipient of a Nuffield Scholarship for groundbreaking research on the role and recognition of women in agriculture.

Now the Laois dairy farmer and passionate advocate for women in agriculture is to take over from Joseph Leonard as Chair of Nuffield Ireland.

She joined the Nuffield Ireland Board in 2023 and worked with the Irish Grassland Association, Nore Conference Services, and Animal Health Ireland.

Taking the chair of the prestigious agricultural research body completes a circle for the Kildare native who farms near Borris-in-Ossory with her husband Jim and son Johnathan.

Gráinne, daughter of the late Michael and Cecilia Dowling, had a farming background before moving to Laois in the late 1980s. Her late dad was an auctioneer and part-time farmer at Ballyshannon, near Kilcullen.

However, farming wasn't a career choice. She worked in the Law Society as an administrator on medical indemnity. After six years at the hub of law working with solicitors, she moved to south Laois to work with cattle after she married into the Dwyer dairy farm in 1988.

Almost immediately, she decided to educate herself about farming because she felt she needed to contribute to the business, as this was her future. However, education options were limited.

“I wanted to learn about farming, but there were no facilities and opportunities to get an agricultural education other than agricultural college,” she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

She praises her husband for being a 'good mentor' from the outset. She identifies a key springboard in her learning as the setting up of a Matt Ryan facilitated Damer Discussion Group of married farming couples, where women were encouraged to participate for the first time.

Gráinne says that she then began to look at the role of women in agriculture and to examine what other countries were doing to advance gender balance in the sector.

From her involvement in Kildare Macra, she was aware of the standing of women in agriculture.

“There was little or no recognition. There was more data about animals in Ireland than there was about women in agriculture,” she said.

Having settled into farming, Gráinne's appetite for learning brought her to an application for a Nuffield Scholarship in the late 1990s. She had to travel to the UK for her final interview to convince men about women in farming.

“I had to travel to London and convince eight men that it was a topic that needed to be covered,” she said.

Her scholarship brought her to the southern hemisphere, where she found that women and men were equal partners on farms. The cheque from the dairy was in both names, while there were also women on the boards of many co-ops.

She points to an IFA initiative in the early 2000s, which involved the appointment of an equality officer for women in farming.

Grainne says part of this saw women farmers from Australia and New Zealand visiting Ireland to impart their advice and experience. The new Nuffield Chair suggests that some element of this could be valuable at present.

Gráinne is one of more than 120 people to have become Nuffield Scholars since 1996. She says she is honoured to have been chosen as chair.

“The scholarship is about leadership and development, and we have scholars in all aspects of the agricultural industry,” she said.

Female participation and encouraging more active farmers to apply for a scholarship are two of her priorities for her three-year term.

“Farmer participation of late in Nuffield Scholarships certainly isn't where I would like it to be. We need to look at why this is,” she said.

She suspects that the compulsory element of the scholarship that requires participants to be away for 10 days in March, a very busy month on all farms, may be putting farmers off. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

“We want the scholarship to be acceptable to everyone,” she said.

Ms Dwyer takes over from the outgoing Chair, Joseph Leonard. He wished her well.

“I would like to wish Gráinne and the board every success going forward. I've had the pleasure of working with Gráinne and know that she will bring a very high level of enthusiasm, hard work and dedication to her new role as chair of the Nuffield Ireland board. I can only hope she enjoys the role as much as I have,” he said.

The incoming Chair's first honour will be to open the 2025 Nuffield Conference on Friday, November 14 at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

She encouraged people to attend the event, which features a fireside chat with Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Laura Burke and presentations from the five returning Nuffield Ireland scholars on their research findings and recommendations.

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One of the presenting scholars will also be selected by attendees at the conference to receive the Padraig Walshe award, named in honour of the late agri-leader from Durrow and Nuffield Scholar, Padraig Walshe.

Gráinne and Padraig are among the Laois alumni of scholars, which includes John Finlay, David Fennelly, and Ger Bergin. John Keane from Errill presents his scholarship at the 2025 conference.

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The conference is open to all to attend. Tickets for this year’s event are available now to purchase and include options: conference and banquet, conference only, and banquet only. 

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.nuffield.ie/nuffield-conference/