‘Keeping the Name on the Land'

This chapter engages with the issue of patrilineal succession by focusing on Northern Ireland. It draws on research from Northern Ireland to interrogate the enduring cultural requirement to keep the family on the land via the male line, to fulfil a sense of destiny, belonging and responsibility to past male generations. The chapter outlines a theoretical basis for patrilineal family farming in the UK which is informed by gender theory. It discusses the specific context of family farming in Northern Ireland and outlines the methodological approach implemented in the research. The chapter draws on research conducted with existing farm holders and identified successors across Northern Ireland. It shows that keeping the name on the land' remains important both amongst the business holders and those identified as successors. The chapter argues that family farming is patrilineal, that family members work to enable farm survival, thereby facilitating farm succession and that ultimately keeping the name on the land' is imperative.