Three candidates have been nominated to run for IFA President. They are Munster Regional Chairman John Coughlan from Cork, National Treasurer Tim Cullinan from Tipperary and National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods from Wicklow.
Laois IFA chairman Francie Gorman, whose own four-year term as the Laois county chairman, has backed Angus Woods from Wicklow.
Woods is the only Leinster candidate in the race for the presidency though Cullinan, who is from Toomevara in North Tipperary, is the closest candidate geographically to Laois.
At the deadline of 10am this morning, National Returning Officer Richard Kennedy announced that three candidates had secured the nominations of their own County Executive and five other County Chairs.
John Coughlan from the Buttevant branch is nominated by the Cork North County Executive and Harold Kingston (Cork Central), Corney Buckley (Cork West), Shay Galvin (Limerick), James Murphy (Kilkenny) and Martin Gilvarry (Mayo).
Tim Cullinan from the Toomevara branch is nominated by the Tipperary North County Executive and Erica O’Keeffe (Tipperary South), Richard Scally (Offaly), John Curran (Meath), Brendan McLaughlin (Donegal) and Willie Hanrahan (Clare).
Angus Woods from the Barndarrig branch is nominated by the Wicklow County Executive and James Kehoe (Wexford), George Collier (Carlow), Jim O’Connor (Roscommon), Francie Gorman (Laois) and Gerard Melia (Louth).
Two candidates have been nominated to run for Deputy President. They are National Environment Chairman Thomas Cooney and Kildare/West Wicklow IFA Chairman Brian Rushe.
Thomas Cooney from the Laragh branch is nominated by the Cavan County Executive and Gavin White (Longford), Erica O’Keeffe (Tipperary South), John Curran (Meath), Brendan McLaughlin (Donegal) and Frank Brady (Monaghan).
Brian Rushe from the Carbury/Cadamstown branch is nominated by the Kildare County Executive and Gerard Melia (Louth), Jim O’Connor (Roscommon), Richard Scally (Offaly), Anne Baker (Cork North) and Shay Galvin (Limerick).
There are also a number of nominations for the Munster and Connacht regional chairman’s position.
The South Leinster Chairman Tom Short has been returned unopposed for a second two-year term as has Ulster North Leinster Chairman Nigel Renaghan.
Debates will begin around the country on October 21 and run until November 21. As ever it will be a fiercely contested election and voting will take place in each of IFA’s 945 branches from Monday, November 25, until Friday, December 13.
The Election Count will take place in Dublin on Tuesday, December 17. The 16th President of IFA and the other National Officers will take up office at the AGM in January 2020.
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