IFA opposes Rathkeale chairmanship

A COUNTY Limerick farmer may be about to make history, with one of the shortest ever chairmanships of an IFA branch, following a challenge by the association’s head office to his election.

Pat Culhane was elected chairman of the Rathkeale IFA branch last year, but he has been instructed by the organisation to vacate the position, because of the IFA rule forbidding political party candidates in local, European and general elections from taking up office in the IFA for three years after their candidacy.

Mr Culhane was a Green Party candidate for the Rathkeale area in the Limerick County Council elections of June, 2004.

In his defence, Mr Culhane has claimed he is no longer an active member of a political party, and he has also alleged that he is not the only branch chairman in Limerick to have been actively involved in politics, but he is the first to be declared ineligible by the association for officership.

Mr Culhane says he considers himself to be chairman of the branch.

He alleges that the IFA is opposing his election because of his stand on animal death difficulties experienced by farmers in the Askeaton-Ballysteen area.

In the 2004 local elections, Mr Culhane was eliminated after receiving 512 votes, which constituted 4.87% of the electorate.