There is plenty of chatter in the south and southwest over who will join the Dairygold board. Chair James Lynch is finishing his term, as is Pat O’Keeffe, and there is plenty of interest in replacing them.

Co Clare farmer Lynch is from the Limerick electoral area. Maurice Curtin, Vincent Griffin and Roger Keogh are in the race. Interestingly, each of these candidates are facing closures of Dairygold agri branch stores in their areas.

In the Mitchelstown area, Martin O’Doherty, Pat Clancy and Mary Twomey-Casey are vying to take O’Keeffe’s seat.

With Lynch leaving the board, there’s an election for chair. Vice-chair John O’Gorman and Tom Feeney are in the race there, with O’Gorman understood to be the favourite as things stand.

However, there’s a long time between now and the elections in January.