Ian Marshall (farmer)

Ian Marshall (born 1968)[2] is a farmer and politician from Markethill, County Armagh, in Northern Ireland.[3] He is from a unionist background and campaigned against Brexit.[3][4] He was elected to Seanad Éireann in Dublin in 2018.[5]

Ian Marshall
Senator
In office
27 April 2018 – 27 March 2020
ConstituencyAgricultural Panel
Personal details
Born1968
Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Political partyIndependent Unionist[1]
Alma materUlster University
Websiteianmarshall.info

Farming

Marshall is a dairy farmer in the agrifood sector and was president of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) from 2014 to 2016.[6][7] In 2015 he invested in the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive scheme and later complained that its critics made no distinction between legitimate investors and those who misused the scheme.[8] In February 2017 the UFU successfully challenged a 2012 reduction by DARD in Marshall's CAP grant, provoked by nitrate pollution detected by NIEA near his farm in 2010–2011, on the basis that the pollution was unintentional.[9] In August 2017, Marshall was appointed Business Development Manager at the Institute for Global Food Security in Queen's University Belfast.[10][11]

Seanad

Marshall was elected to the 25th Seanad on 27 April 2018 in a by-election for the Agricultural Panel.[12] The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Denis Landy. He was approached to stand by then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael leader; his candidacy was also supported by Sinn Féin.[11][12] He has never been a member of a political party and sat as an independent.[13] He was the first unionist member elected to the Oireachtas since the 1930s.[14]

He lost his seat at the 2020 Seanad election.

References
  1. "Ian Marshall: Becoming a member of the Seanad makes me a stronger unionist". The Irish News. 20 April 2019.
  2. "First unionist Senator turned down Orange Order as teen". Belfast Telegraph. 2 July 2018.
  3. McMahon, Aine (16 February 2018). "Former Ulster Farmers' Union president set to run for Seanad". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. "Sinn Féin to back anti-Brexit campaigner Ian Marshall for the Seanad". The Irish Times. 24 April 2018.
  5. "Ian Marshall". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  6. "Sinn Féin backs unionist farmer Ian Marshall for Senate". BBC News. 24 April 2018.
  7. Donnelly, Margaret (1 May 2014). "New leadership team elected at UFU AGM". Agriland. Retrieved 27 April 2018.; "New leadership team at UFU". News (Press release). Ulster Farmers Union. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  8. McCullough, Chris (19 December 2016). "End witch hunt, urges ex-farmers' union chief who signed up for RHI". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  9. "Judicial review supports UFU position ,". News (Press release). Ulster Farmers Union. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. "Ian Marshall IGFS appointment". Staff Gateway. Queen's University Belfast. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. "Sinn Féin backs unionist farmer in Seanad by-election". RTÉ.ie. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  12. "Unionist farmer takes one of two Seanad seats". RTÉ News. 27 April 2018.
  13. Adair, Gordon (27 April 2018). "Sinn Féin votes help unionist into Irish senate". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  14. 1998 Review of "Crisis and Decline; the fate of the Southern Unionists" by Geoffrey Wheatcroft.
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