90th birthday celebrations for Camilla Hannon

There were celebrations as former Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) national president, Camilla Hannon, marked her 90th birthday recently. The Kiltale guild member was also a member of Seanad Eireann for a period.

From Derrypatrick, Camilla was a past national secretary, vice president and president of the ICA. From Ballymote, Co Sligo, early work included three years with the Blood Bank travelling to every corner of the country.

She joined the advertising department of The Irish Times as a supervisor and remained there until she married her Dublin-born husband Joe who had gone into agricultural college and opted for a career in farming with a family-owned 'outfarm' in Meath. As well as rearing five children, she also kept all of the farming accounts and records.

Camilla began her community involvement when she became a founding member of Kiltale ICA guild.

She went on to become VCO and in 1976 Meath Federation President and chairman of the Horticulture Board of Grianan. In 1979 she became the third Meath ICA member to become ICA president, after Lady Daisy Fingall and Bea Trench, and her first priority was to increase membership.

She was appointed to numerous national boards whilst in office and became a member of the National Agricultural, the Rural Development and the Environment committees and also the National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women.

One month after her term of office as president was completed, she became the Taoiseach's nominee for the senate when CJ Haughey proposed her to the Seanad. While being heavily involved at a local level, Camilla's commitment to development work also had an international flavour to it in that she was a board member of Self Help Development International.

She was also honorary secretary of Meath Leader Board for many years and represented Meath on the County Development Board.

Sadly, Joe died last year, but Camilla was joined by family and friends to mark her big day, and she is looking forward to some further celebrations with ICA colleagues.