Frank Brady (Nobber, Co Meath) was the last of a generation who suffered the effects of the “Economic War” and the poverty that it created, which caused the farm that he inherited at 16 years of age to be three times its value in debt to “the bank”.

The British government refused to allow Irish cattle to enter Britain. Frank’s father held on to the farm – however he died when Frank was 16.

The measure of the young man was how he rose to the challenge of holding on to the farm. He told how his uncle gave him a loan of £300 to buy his first tractor and plough. He ploughed for his neighbours during the day and on his own farm at night. There was also huge pressure at that time from the Irish Land Commission to take over the farm compulsorily.

Under that pressure they eventually relinquished 20% of it. It was with great pride that he told me 65 years later that he had bought it back.

Frank’s first farm enterprise was tillage, with hoggets on swedes and stubble over winter. He tried most farm enterprises to make the business work – sheep, cattle and even pigs.

He saw early on that all year round milk production would be his saviour so he started producing liquid milk for consumption in Dublin in 1956 with a bucket plant in tie-up stalls. He progressed to an eight-unit herringbone in 1965. He and his neighbours brought the milk from their farms to Nobber every morning in 12-gallon aluminium milk cans to be collected by the Dublin Dairies lorry. Frank was instrumental in convincing the dairies to change to bulk milk collection.

He was a founding member of Macra na Feirme, NFA/IFA, FBD and Mullagh Co-op and strongly supported each of those organisations. He never took national or county office but he supported and encouraged a huge circle of people to get involved in those organisations and he participated in the NFA blockade of 1966.

It was at a Macra na Feirme meeting that he met his wife Patsy Moran, a domestic science teacher from Ardee. They jointly reared a family of 10 (six girls and four boys). She was a lady of strong and independent views. She died in 2011; he sorely missed her.

Frank’s word was his bond - a deal agreed was always honoured. He gave advice in a quiet way that few except those who got it ever knew anything about it. He was most generous to any charity or good cause that approached him. All good deeds were done privately and without fuss or wanting public recognition.

His clarity and views on life, family, farming, business and investing, up until his final days was a gift that is given to few. We were privileged to have known him and to have had the benefit of his encouraging words. There are very few with his vision of life and love of his fellow human beings.

May he rest in peace.

- TC