Canvassing gets under way to elect new president of IFA
In accordance with tradition, the canvassing of support began in earnest at last week’s national ploughing championships in Athy, Co Kildare.
There are three declared candidates to succeed the incumbent office holder Padraig Walshe as the 13th IFA president.
They are John Bryan, Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, Derek Deane, Hacketstown, Co Carlow, and Richard Kennedy, Clarina, Co Limerick.
John Bryan is Kilkenny IFA chairman and a former national chairman of the National Livestock Committee.
Derek Deane is the current IFA deputy president and also a former National Livestock Committee chairman.
Richard Kennedy is a past president of Macra na Feirme and the current chairman of the IFA dairy committee.
Nominations close on October 21. The formal declaration of candidates will be announced two days later on October 23. Debates between the candidates will take place on a regional basis in October and November.
Voting in 947 IFA branches in 29 county executives will be held between November 30 and December 18. The national count will take place on December 21.
Meanwhile, there are two declared candidates for the position of the next president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association.
Martin Coughlan and Gabriel Gilmartin will contest the election which takes place at the ICSA national executive meeting on November 4.
The winner will succeed Malcolm Thompson as president at the association’s annual general meeting in December.
Martin Coughlan is a beef farmer from Carrick-on-Suir, Co Waterford, and is currently vice-chairman of the ICSA beef committee, and is also a member of the management committee. He has previously served as vice-president.
Gabriel Gilmartin is a sheep and suckler farmer from Ballintrillick, Co Sligo, and is currently ICSA rural development chairman, as well as serving on the management committee. He has previously served as vice-chairman of the sheep committee.
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