Super Tuesday sees return of Flor Mc

Kerryman back in a leadership position within IFA as Super Tuesday sees a slew of elections.

The Dealer

10 January 2018

Sean Dennehy (right) the new IFA sheep chair, with John Lambert (left).

New IFA dairy chair Tom Phelan. \ Alf Harvey/HRPhoto.ie

Flor McCarthy, the new IFA hill chair.

New IFA potato chair Thomas McKeown (Meath) with fellow committee members Matt Molloy, IFA potato and fresh produce development officer, Charles Doherty (Donegal), John Carroll (Louth), Mr Tayto, John Brady (Wicklow), Thomas Carpenter, IFA potato chair, Laurence Flynn (Dublin) and Larry Whelan (Wexford). Seated (from left) Eddie Doyle (Kilkenny), Paddy Reynolds (Meath) and Elaine Farrell, IFA horticulture executive.

James Murphy.

Tim Cullinan.

Sean O'Leary.

Pat Murphy (on far left, with Anne Mitchell in the centre).

Peter Gohery. \ Hany Marzouk

Maura Canning.

The IFA’s “Super Tuesday” saw three positions filled in quick succession. Firstly, Tom Phelan from Laois has replaced Sean O’Leary as dairy chair, having been the vice-chair. Similarly, the sheep committee elected outgoing vice-chair Sean Dennehy from Cork to succeed John Lynskey. And Flor McCarthy is back. The former presidential candidate is the new hill chair, replacing Pat Dunne. Meath man Thomas McKeown is the new potato chair.

The IFA’s “Super Tuesday” saw three positions filled in quick succession. Firstly, Tom Phelan from Laois has replaced Sean O’Leary as dairy chair, having been the vice-chair.

Similarly, the sheep committee elected outgoing vice-chair Sean Dennehy from Cork to succeed John Lynskey. And Flor McCarthy is back. The former presidential candidate is the new hill chair, replacing Pat Dunne. Meath man Thomas McKeown is the new potato chair.

The big election is probably next Tuesday – that for national treasurer/returning officer, replacing Jer Bergin following the Laois man’s extremely eventful four-year term. The position has been used in the past by the likes of Tom Parlon and Padraig Walshe as the launchpad for the presidency, and there is little doubt that James Murphy, Tim Cullinan, Sean O’Leary and Pat Murphy are all ambitious for high office. Pat Murphy has just completed his four years as Galway chair, and has shown skill in negotiating what is the most political of all county environments within IFA circles.

Tim Cullinan was national pig chair before his stint as Tipperary chair, James Murphy was sheep chair before being South Leinster chair and Sean O’Leary has chaired both the dairy and environment committees as well as the North Cork executive.

The Galway agm isn’t until February and it looks like there will be a three-way contest. Anne Mitchell, Peter Gohery and Stephen Canavan are all seeking to replace Pat Murphy. Mitchell, from Menlough in mid-Galway, is seeking to become the fourth woman to take a county chair position in less than a month. She headed up Joe Healy’s successful presidential campaign and serves on the farm business committee. Peter Gohery has been Galway’s second delegate for the last four years. A survivor of a serious farm accident that cost him a leg, Gohery is from Eyrecourt in east Galway, a branch that also boasts -Tom Turley and Michael Silke as members. Stephen Canavan is currently the Galway animal health chair, and hails from Corofin in mid-Galway.

Meanwhile, Peter Gohery’s old job will be contested by outgoing farm family national chair Maura Canning and Turloughmore’s Martin Murphy is rumoured to be in the running. There’s always an election in the IFA.