On Friday night, the Eyrecourt branch in Galway forwarded a motion calling for the resignation of IFA president Eddie Downey. This happened within hours of Downey receiving a unanimous vote of confidence from the 53-strong executive council.This branch is chaired by Peter Gohery, who is a member of the executive council as Galway’s second delegate, a special position reflecting the volume of membership in the county. Kerry is the only other county with such a facility, although Cork and Tipperary are divided into three and two regions respectively.
On Friday night, the Eyrecourt branch in Galway forwarded a motion calling for the resignation of IFA president Eddie Downey. This happened within hours of Downey receiving a unanimous vote of confidence from the 53-strong executive council.
This branch is chaired by Peter Gohery, who is a member of the executive council as Galway’s second delegate, a special position reflecting the volume of membership in the county. Kerry is the only other county with such a facility, although Cork and Tipperary are divided into three and two regions respectively.
It is also the branch of Tom Turley, the Connacht vice-president. Both Turley and Gohery were present at the meeting in Portlaoise , and voted confidence in Eddie Downey as president before returning home to attend the branch meeting.
Michael Silke is a third Eyrecourt branch member with a national profile within IFA, so this is no ordinary branch.
Vote of confidence
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Tom Turley clarified as follows. “I explained to my branch meeting the events that had unfolded at the executive council, including that there had been a unanimous vote of confidence in the president. Despite that, a motion of confidence in both the president and the national treasurer was made and seconded.
It was not put to the floor or voted on, but neither was it withdrawn, despite an invitation to do so from the chairman. I for my part, cautioned the meeting as to the implications of their actions.
The motion now goes forward to our Galway county executive, and I have to say it is reflective of the feelings of many members of IFA out there who have been contacting me today. The organisation’s is built on trust, and that must be rebuilt going forwards.“
Turley further confirmed that he has called a meeting of the Connacht region’s county officers and commodity committee representatives for this evening to inform them in full of the events at the executive council meeting.
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