Our Team

Dr. Kathryn O’ Donoghue

CEO

A native of Cork Kathryn was educated at Mount St Michael’s Secondary School, Rosscarbery subsequently graduating in European Law and Public Affairs she worked at Macra Na Feirme Headquarters in Dublin before moving to the European Commission Education Training and Youth Department with responsibility for the Youth Initiative programme in assigned Member States. Following three terms in Education she moved back into Agricultural circles of the EU in a research and development capacity. This public affairs graduate had fallen in love with agriculture affairs the day she joined the local Macra Na Feirme club in Aughadown. When asked what was the draw to Agriculture for someone coming from a family business background, she replied ‘the power of the land’ the challenge that it presents us with for example the Farm to Fork concept, contributing to the working strategy of sustainable, healthy environmentally friendly food system, taking cognisance of Climate Change and the challenges it presents in finding new methods of working on farms is like hitting a reset button every day. There are always new challenges from working with soil to different levels of tree growth to offsetting dairy omissions. During lockdown it has been a wonderful career category to work in as I have diversity of field work, policy development and administration. Walking a forest, I find myself inspired by nature.

In my early career at European level I had the great privilege of working with the late Peter Sutherland, he had an inspiring presence. I learned from the best and when I came to Forestry in 2018 I accepted the position of CEO knowing that my biggest challenge was the transfer of knowledge from the central hub of Brussels to the formation of good practice at national level and most importantly implementation at local level after all farmers and forest owners are the custodians of our land bank which is a key resource to life.

The Forest Owners Co-op services the entire Munster Region and its role was never so important as it is today in this the era of Climate Change. The word Biodiversity is the new buzz word with this generation. We have a disconnect and we need to reinstate that. Milk and butter and bread are displayed in the supermarket, but we need to be more respectful of how they got there and how we want our food to taste. The tree plays a significant role in the process of farm to fork. FOCS encourages every farmer to join and be more aware of how hedgerows and the power of tree growing on the farm can assist society down the road as we work towards 2030 into 2050 on environment and climate issues as it applies to forestry and farming.

Abraham Kingston

Treasurer

Abraham Kingston is married to Eleanor and has four daughters. Abraham is a dairy farmer from Drimoleague, West Cork. He has been farming since he qualified from Gurteen Agricultural College in County Tipperary, where he completed a National Certificate of Agriculture. He is also a keen beekeeper, gardener and has passion for conservation and his local area. In 1992, he was merited Munster Regional Winner of the Farming Conservation Award.

Abraham was one of the pioneers of farm forestry in the late 1980s; in 1987, Abraham branched into forestry and has continued to build on his experience by planting on two more occasions. Abraham had the privilege of being West Cork’s representative on the I.F.A first National Forestry Committee. For two terms he held the post of IFA County Forestry Chairman and for two years acted as the Munster Representative on the IFA Forestry Advisory Board.

In 2012, Abraham was one of the key members in establishing Forestry Owners Co-operative Society Ltd  (F.O.C.S). Abraham is an active member of our group and has been treasurer since commencement. Along with his fellow committee members they saw the need for independent forestry owners to organize themselves to achieve maximum benefit for their members, in recognition of how cooperatives have served diary farming so well. Abraham firmly believes “forest owners can (and should) optimise their resource by working together”.

In 2018, Abraham was one of the co-operative members who engaged in a pilot group certification initiative and with eleven others achieved FSC Certification. Abraham thinks forestry has a huge role in carbon mitigation and planting more forests will be beneficial both for the economy and the environment. He gains great joy from organizing events bring communities together and confidently believes there is plenty to be learned by and from other forest owners.

Michael Greaney

Board Member

Michael Greaney is a native of Newcastle West Co. Limerick now residing in East Cork. After collage he took up a position as part of a quality control team at Waterford Co-op and later as a shift manager with the same company producing quality dairy food products. He went on to set up a printing company in Dublin that designed and printed a complete range of greeting cards for the retail trade. This was the first company of it type to be set up in Ireland under the business expansion scheme. Michael later took up a position with BASF chemical company at its production facility in Little Island Co. Cork. In 2005 his wife and himself established a forestry in North Cork which they are currently managing. Michael is currently serving as a board member with Forestry Owners Co-op Society (FOCS)

Tim McCarthy

Chairman

Edward Jermyn

Member

Edward Jermyn is a skillful qualified forester with extensive management handling experience in both the home and international forestry sector. His attention to detail in quality auditing and log stock management for harvest sites, fine management and management of harvesting crews work strongly in favour of the plantation holder. For award winning efficient harvesting, planting, and contractor managed real time forestry service Ed Jermyn, as part of FOCS forestry management team, is second to none….