Marshall is a dairy farmer in the agrifood sector and was president of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) from 2014 to 2016. Marshall was elected to the 25th Seanad on 27 April 2018 in a by-election for the Agricultural Panel. The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Denis Landy. He was approached to stand by Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader; his candidacy was also supported by Sinn Féin. He has never been a member of a political party and sat as an independent. He was the first unionist member elected to the Oireachtas since the 1930s. He lost his seat at the 2020 Seanad election. In this episode we talk through Northern Irish politics and cross border relations with the Republic of Ireland. Ian was fantastic to interview as he believes respect even for those he disagrees with is fundamental to moving Northern Ireland forward, his willingness to work with republicans has gained him respect across the political aisle.