A NATIONAL community protest against the Mercosur trade deal is taking place in Athlone, Co Westmeath on Saturday, January 10 at 11am.
The protest will include a tractor and vehicle cavalcade around the town crossing the river Shannon and ending in a rally in the indoor sports arena at the Technological University of The Shannon (formerly AIT -Athlone Regional Technical College) on the old Dublin road.
Stewards will be in attendance on all approach roads to the town.
All vehicles will be asked to park in designated holding areas on the approach routes as the protest begins.
With the start of 2026, political pressure is mounting on the Coalition Government over its position on the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which is now entering its final ratification stage.
The Programme for Government contains a clear commitment to oppose the Mercosur deal.
That position is coming under renewed scrutiny as France leads a growing coalition of EU member states campaigning to block the agreement.
In the European Parliament, opposition is also hardening.
Many Irish MEPs have now publicly stated they will vote against Mercosur, following the recent and powerful farmers’ protests in Brussels
From the outset, Ciarán Mullooly MEP has consistently opposed the agreement, tabling multiple resolutions aimed at slowing and scrutinising the process.
He has repeatedly warned that Mercosur poses an existential threat to the Irish beef sector, comparable to the devastation Brexit inflicted on the fishing industry.
Together with Michael Fitzmaurice TD, and with the backing of major farming organisations, Mullooly has now called for a national rally to send a clear and unified message to the Coalition Government: Irish farmers and farm families say no to Mercosur.
Plans for the rally are well advanced, and large crowds are expected, reflecting the depth of anger and concern across rural Ireland.
