To mark the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) 2026, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), in association with CAP Network Ireland, launched a national photo competition celebrating women’s roles across Ireland’s agri-food sector. The initiative invited participants to capture images reflecting women’s diverse contributions to farming, fisheries, sustainability and rural communities, highlighting roles often underrepresented in agricultural communications.
Farming
Gillian Smith from Lifford, Co. Donegal, won the Farming category and was also named the overall winner of the IYWF Competition with her photograph titled “Changing Roles”. Gillian farms full-time alongside her husband on their 550-acre dairy and beef enterprise. Their two children, Jamie and Lara, are both studying agriculture and are actively involved in the family farm. The photograph captures a moment of generational change between Gillian and her daughter Lara. For years, the pair had attended local tractor runs supporting schools and charities, with Gillian driving and Lara navigating. This time, however, Lara had recently obtained her tractor driving licence and took the wheel herself. For Gillian, the photograph symbolises the confidence of a new generation of young women finding their place in Irish agriculture.
Fisheries
Mary O’Brien Browne from Fenit, Co. Kerry, won the Fisheries category with her photograph “Oyster Fisherwoman Mary – Tides in Her Hands, Resilience in Her Bones”. Born into a family of seafarers in Tralee Bay, Mary grew up surrounded by the sea, learning from an early age the resilience and respect it demands. Today, she works as an oyster fisher while also balancing roles as a nurse, mother and photographer. Through both her work on the water and behind the camera, she captures the resilience of coastal communities and the contribution of women in fisheries. She dedicates the award to her grandmother and to the many women whose work at sea has often remained unseen yet continues to be essential to sustaining coastal livelihoods.
Sustainability
Bláthnaid Gallagher from East Galway received the Sustainability category award for her photograph “Where Women Lead, Sustainable Futures Grow”. She runs Murray Meadows, a 100-acre mixed-farming enterprise based on native breeds, sustainable land management and progressive farm practices. Bláthnaid is a strong advocate for women in agriculture and recently served as Ireland’s Ambassador for the FLIARA Project, promoting the voices of female farmers across the European Union. She is also a Farming for Nature Ambassador, a contributor to the EU CAP Network Focus Group 57 and a member of the Galway Rural Development LEADER Evaluation Board.
Rural Diversification
Elaine Clarke from County Kilkenny won the Rural Diversification category with her photograph “Selfie Time”. A chiropractor by profession, Elaine is also a pioneering alpaca breeder and fibre specialist. Together with her husband Roger, she founded Amberly Alpacas in 2006 and later expanded with the Ambermoon herd in Kilkenny. Their breeding programme has achieved multiple national and international awards, including Supreme Champion titles and wins at the All-Ireland Fleece Show. In 2019, the couple established the Alpaca Education Centre of Ireland, providing training and support for new and experienced breeders across the country. Elaine’s work demonstrates how farm diversification can create new opportunities while supporting rural innovation.
CAP Network Ireland congratulates the winners and thanks all those who took part in the competition, whose photographs helped showcase the diverse and inspiring contributions of women across Ireland’s farming, fishing and rural communities.
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