Dairy farmer to lead IFA into tough future

THE Irish Farmers Association yesterday elected a dairy farmer for the first time in 12 years to lead its 85,000 members into what will be a challenging future.

Padraig Walshe, the association’s 47-year-old national treasurer, from Bishopswood, Durrow, Co Laois, topped the poll of 946 IFA branches across 29 county executives and was elected on the second count.

The declaration of his election as the twelfth IFA president by returning officer Seamus O’Brien was greeted with jubilation by his supporters at the count centre in City West Hotel, Dublin.