Name: Mary Walsh
Location: Moycullen
Occupation: Chairperson, Galway City Macra
Favourite thing about Galway: The atmosphere and the Prom
Worst thing about Galway: The rain!

Galway City Macra Chairperson Mary Walsh is on a mission - to let people know that Macra is not just about farming.

Moycullen woman Mary Walsh is a postgraduate student at NUI Galway. She founded the Galway City branch of Macra back in October after interest emerged around the city.

The group has gone from strength to strength ever since, winning 'Club of the Year' this year and reaching the semi-finals of the All-Ireland public speaking championships.

Over the past six months, the club has gathered steam, with 20 members now attending on a regular basis. While Macra may be predominantly a farming organisation in rural areas, Mary says the Galway group has members from many different backgrounds and the emphasis is more on the social aspect.

"Basically the group is for young people between the ages of 17 and 35 and it is a social group to meet people and take part in different activities, from arts and drama to public speaking. It is also a strong lobbying group for farming. But we have many members that have no farming background and they get just as much out of it."

The club also travels around the country and offer great networking opportunities. Mary says joining a group such as Macra offers people access to a wide range of diverse activities in a friendly and supportive environment.

“People often would like to try something like public speaking or acting but joining a specialist group can be very intimidating. In Macra, people are encouraged to try things in an amateur capacity and see how they get on, which can open a lot of doors for people.”

Mary's role in the organisation is to promote the club and encourage members to take full advantage of the facilities available. So far, the club has arranged sporting activities, competitions and trips away and has much more planned for the future.

"We meet every two weeks and have a great bunch of people, so it's great fun. I would advise anyone who thinks they might like to join to log on to our Facebook page, which contains information on meetings and recent activities and will give them an idea of what we are about."

For more information, check out the Galway City Macra page on Facebook or contact Mary on 087-9131495.

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