Thousands of enthusiastic Macra members converged on the Tower Hotel Waterford for the Macra na Feirme Annual Conference last Saturday where Freemount Macra was declared runners up in the prestigious AIB Club of the Year competition. While Johnstown/Cool-greaney Macra from Co. Wicklow took the top prize in the AIB Club of the Year competition, two Macra clubs, Berrings Macra, Muskerry, and Freemount Macra, Avondhu, were runners up in the category. 

The AIB Club of the Year Competition recognises excellence in Macra clubs throughout the country. Clubs are assessed on the planning and execution of their development strategy, involvement in the club’s local community, and the level of participation of club members in a variety of activities at club, county and national level in all of the organisation’s pro-gramme areas.

Freemount’s prize for runners up spot was a cheque for €500.

Meanwhile the All-Ireland finals of the 2012 Macra na Feirme Beef and Sheep Stock judging competi-tions, sponsored by Bord Bia, also took place as part of the Macra na Feirme Annual Conference in Waterford last weekend. Top prize in the Under 23 category of Beef stock judging went to Alan Twomey from Donough-more Macra in Muskerry, Cork. Another Cork man, Edmond Curtin from Freemount Macra from Avondhu, was the runner up in the Senior beef category. The competition final took place in Kildalton Agricultural College, in Co. Kilkenny on Sunday.