Rickard Deasy (campaigner)

Rickard Joesph Gerard Deasy (1916–1999), born in Terryglass, County Tipperary was a prominent farmers' rights campaigner in Ireland, Captain with the Irish army, and a member of the Labour Party. He was President of the National Farmers Association of Ireland between 1961 and 1967

Personal Life

Rickard Deasy was the only son of the author and adventurer Major Henry Hugh Peter Deasy, founder of the Deasy Motor Car Company. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Christ Church, Oxford, where he took a B.A. In 1961, he succeeded Dr. Juan Green as President of the National Farmers' Association of Ireland. He married Countess Sheila O'Kelly de Gallagh, with whom he had four children. One of his sons, Ruaidhri, is also an advocate for farmers' rights.

Farmers' Rights Campaign

In 1966, frustration with the weak economic situation of Irish agriculture, and a bad relationship with the then Minister for Agriculture Charlie Haughey caused Deasy to organize a 30,000-man walking protest from Cork to the Irish Parliament at Dail Eireann in Dublin. This was followed by a 20-day sit-in protest, which culminated in the Irish Farmers' Association being officially recognized by the Irish Government.

Recognition of the Farmers' Association was seen as a major step forward for social partnership in Ireland, and a consultative approach to economic participation. It attracted widespread media attention, coming at a time of general distrust towards groups advocating greater economic equality. It was considered to have damaged the political aspirations of Charlie Haughey.

Although the campaign was considered a success, Rickard Deasy was portrayed as a militant and a Marxist, and subsequently failed to be elected in the Irish general election, 1969, when he stood for the Labour Party.