The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has set a date for its 2020 AGM, which will see new president Tim Cullinan take up office.

The AGM has been set for Monday, January 27, 2020. It will also see newly elected deputy president Brian Rushe take up office.

The counting of votes across four separate elections took place yesterday, Tuesday, December 17, at the Castleknock Hotel in Dublin.

Cullinan was elected with 11,497 votes, compared to 9,937 for John Coughlan, after the second count.

This followed the first count, which saw Angus Woods, with the lowest total of votes, eliminated, with his second preferences distributed.

The first count resulted in: 8,334 votes for Cullinan; 7,402 for Coughlan; and 7,149 for Woods.

Rushe beat out stiff competition from Thomas Cooney for the role of deputy president. In a tight race with only 36 votes between them (out of over 22,700 total votes), a recount was called by Cooney.

However, Rushe held on to win the deputy president role, with a final tally of 11,379, compared to Cooney’s 11,345.

The other two elections were for Munster regional chairperson and Connacht regional chairperson.

The Munster position went to Cork’s Harold Kingston, after the vote in that election was fully recounted.

After the first round of the recount, Kingston stood on 1,432 votes, with Pat O’Driscoll on 1,297 and Willie Hanrahan on 1,243.

In the second count, Hanrahan’s second preferences were distributed, which resulted in a total final poll of: 1,985 for Kingston; and 1,919 for O’Driscoll.

In the most straightforward vote of the night, Pat Murphy was elected Connacht regional chairperson with 991 votes, beating out John Haney, who acquired 815 votes.

It was also confirmed yesterday that Tom Short was returned unopposed as south Leinster regional chairperson, while Nigel Renaghan was returned unopposed as Ulster / North Leinster regional chairperson.

The AGM next month will see the election of a new national treasurer, the office that will be vacated by president-elect Cullinan.