Voting gets underway tonight for the position of Munster IFA Chairman with the first County Executive meeting taking place tonight in West Cork.
There are two Cork candidates contesting the election: John Coughlan from Buttevant in North Cork and John O’Brien of Barryroe, Cork Central.
All members of the Munster County Executives are entitled to vote by secret ballot at meetings taking place between today, March 8, and March 23.
Members tonight in West Cork will hear from both candidates before casting their votes.
After tonight’s County Executive meeting in West Cork the following meetings will take place:
- Cork Central on Wednesday, March 9.
- North Cork on Thursday, March 10.
- Kerry on Monday, March 14.
- Clare on Tuesday, March 15.
- Limerick on Wednesday, March 16.
- South Tipperary on Monday, March 21.
- North Tipperary on Tuesday, March 22.
- Waterford on Wednesday, March 23.
The votes will be counted at the National Count in Dublin on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
Meanwhile, farmers in Connacht could be left without a regional chair, as it remains in deadlock.
No candidate has met the criteria for the position and it seems no one is willing to pull out of the race and give their county signature to another.
The Sligo County Executive has submitted a possible solution to the deadlock to National Council.
Sligo’s Rural Development Chairman and Connacht Chair nomination Eddie Davitt said that Sligo is the only county that has come up with a resolution.
“We’re proposing that every two years a chairman is elected. The five counties are put into a hat and we draw them. Whichever comes out first they host if for the first two years and so on.
“We’re demanding this resolution at national level – every county in Connacht will have their say at Council over 10 years.”