A one-time president of the National Farmers' Association, Mr Rickard Deasy, who has died aged 83, is best remembered for leading the huge protest march to Dublin in 1966 to demand an improvement in the financial situation of farmers.
The march ended in a massive rally of 30,000 protesters outside the Department of Agriculture. This was followed by a sitdown protest by 25 farm leaders outside the Department which went on for 20 days.
The National Farmers' Association's (since renamed the Irish Farmers' Association) march started in Bantry on October 8th and was joined by other farmers along the route. It took 11 days to get to the capital. When the marchers arrived outside the Department, about 30,000 farmers converged on Merrion Square.
At the time cattle prices had collapsed, rates were rising, a survey showed that weekly earnings were less than £5, and rainfall was 25 per cent higher than normal and there was a fodder crisis.
The Farmers' Rights Campaign in 1966 eventually won formal negotiating rights for farmers with the government.
The president of the IFA, Mr Tom Parlon, said farmers had been fortunate to have Mr Deasy as their leader at a critical stage in the political and economic development of Irish society. "He was a man of extraordinary vision and courage, and his leadership lifted the morale of farm families throughout the country. His achievement of formal negotiating rights for farmers with the government will be lasting testimony to his outstanding contribution for Irish farmers."
The general secretary of the IFA, Mr Michael Berkery, described Mr Deasy as a courageous and fair-minded man, who as leader of the NFA first sought to resolve the problems of farmers. Mr Deasy was born in Dublin in 1916. He was educated at Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, and Christ Church College, Oxford. Two days after Germany invaded Poland at the outbreak of the second World War, he joined the Army.
A year after he joined he was commissioned as an officer in the Sixth Field Battery at Kildare Barracks and eventually became commander of this unit. Later he was appointed to the Depot and School of Artillery at Kildare as an instructor. His next appointment was O/C 13th Field battery.
He left the Army in 1944 and took over the family farm at Carrigahorig, Nenagh, following the death of his mother. He extended the holding to close to 200 acres. He remained on the Reserve of Officers for a few years after.
Mr Deasy joined the National Farmers' Association as a member of the Terryglass branch and immediately began to take an active role. In September 1960 he was the first in the history of the NFA to be appointed president-elect. He replaced Dr Juan Greene as president a year later.
He leaves his wife, Sheila, sons Rickard, Ruaidhri, Robin and daughter, Lucila.
The removal will be from his home at Carrigahorig, Nenagh, at 7.30 p.m. tomorrow, arriving at Terryglass Church at 8 p.m. Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery after 11.30 a.m. Mass on Friday.