Kelly to join IFA deputy race
The Munster vice-president confirmed his bid to step up in the IFA hierarchy after a West Cork IFA meeting where he received full backing to go head-to-head against Co Carlow's Derek Deane in the election contest for the No 2 post in IFA.
Galway's Padraig Divilly, the IFA Rural Development Committee chairman, will not stand. "I still have a lot of work to do if I am re-elected for another two years in my current position at the end of the year", he said.
Donal Kelly, completing his fourth year as Munster vice-president, will hope to poll well in the province, a key target for candidates because of its high proportion of IFA's 947 voting branches.
The candidates for the IFA Presidency, Ruardhi Deasy (North Tipperary), Raymond O'Malley (Louth) and Padraig Walsh (Laois) are already heavily involved in campaigning for votes in the election to be held in December. The last election four years ago was decided by just a few votes.
Since then, weighting of branch votes has added a new dimension, perhaps making the vote even more crucial in Munster, where the largest IFA membership is located.
* The three presidential candidates will make their election pitches in the Irish Examiner marquee (stand 311, row 2E) at the Ploughing Championships next Tuesday (10.30am) in a debate chaired by Damien O'Reilly of RTE.
