Research highlights barriers to Irish farm succession
A Maynooth University and Teagasc collaboration is examining how older landholders can step aside securely while younger generations gain a foothold. Its findings have informed national policy recommendations and reached international audiences.
The future of Ireland’s rural communities depends in part on who takes over the land, according to Teagasc research economist Anne Kinsella. The average Irish farm holder is 59.4 years old, while just 4.3% are under 35.
A collaboration between Maynooth University and Teagasc is examining how to support that generational change. The project, Sustainable Transition of the Rural Economy Through Generational Renewal, is led by Dr Michael Hayden of Maynooth’s School of Business, Bridget McNally and Kinsella. It is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and featured during Maynooth University’s Research Week 2026.
The researchers argue that encouraging younger people into agriculture is only one part of the challenge. Older farmers need the financial security to step back, while successors need clear, structured routes into management and ownership before a full handover.
Around half of Irish farmers do not have a private pension; the figure is roughly 40% among sheep and cattle enterprises. Without a dependable income or an exit plan, older farmers may feel they have little choice but to retain their land.
Maynooth University’s Research Development Office commissioned a Research Impact Case Study on the project as an example of university work delivering benefits beyond academia. The team’s findings have been presented to the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming and influenced its final recommendations. They have also been shared internationally through platforms hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the European Commission.
Teagasc’s outreach, including Generational Renewal Week, encourages farming families to begin succession conversations early. The aim is to approach a handover as a supported business transition rather than wait until it becomes a crisis.
Maynooth University and Teagasc have also released research and video material on supporting younger farmers and helping older farmers step back with financial security. Some footage was recorded at the National Ploughing Championships, where the research team met MEP Maria Walsh.
Further information is available in Maynooth University’s Research Spotlight and its news coverage of the project’s contribution to national strategy.