Connacht impasse continues

There has been no move toward resolving the Connacht regional chair impasse in the last week. The IFA’s rules and privileges committee is understood to have met on Monday night, but came up with no proposals to resolve the situation.

Currently, each of the five executives in Connacht has nominated a candidate, but no candidate has the required second nomination, with no spare nomination available.

It’s understood that some branches are threatening to refuse to hold a branch meeting for the presidential election, such is the level of anger that there might be no election and no regional chair for Connacht.

The hustings move into the western province next week, commencing in Mayo on Tuesday night. No presidential hustings are being held in the host counties of the candidates, so the Galway meeting next Thursday is for the deputy presidential candidates only. Sligo and Leitrim will hold a joint hustings (the only two executives to do so) on Monday 7 March, with the final meeting in the region in Roscommon town the following evening.

Major issue

The regional chair logjam is bound to be a major issue at these meetings.

Roscommon nominee John O’Beirne has called on the rules and privileges committee to organise a meeting of the five candidates and the region’s county chairs to explore any possible solutions.

“There is a lot of frustration among members” he added.

Padraic Joyce is both Mayo’s nominated candidate and its county chair. He said: “We have an obligation to ensure that we have a new elected regional chair. The rules and privileges committee have an obligation to assist us in this regard. I would be willing to sit down with anyone to discuss any possible solutions.”

Des McHugh, the Leitrim nominee, said: “I’m hoping it will be discussed at the next meeting of the executive council. Perhaps there will be a rule change suggested.”

No meeting of the executive council has been formally scheduled as yet. The last meeting was on 10 February, so it is likely that the hustings across Connacht will have concluded by the time they meet again.

March date for Munster

Meanwhile in Munster, the one region that does have a contest for the regional chair position, the election will be held next month. Jer Bergin, the IFA’s returning officer, confirmed the position will be decided through voting at meetings of the nine executives in the region.

This is the first time that voting will be restricted to branch and county executive officer holders only.

John Coughlan, from Buttevant (north Cork), and John O’Brien, from Barryroe (Cork central), will contest the position.

“All members of the Munster county executives are entitled to vote by secret ballot at meetings taking place between 8 and 23 March,” said Bergin.

The votes will be counted in conjunction with the presidential and deputy presidential national count in Dublin in mid-April. And perhaps the Connacht election, if one is ever held.