Derek Deane, IFA Carlow chair, told RTÉ, the state broadcaster, that a technological failure meant he could not submit his nomination before Wednesday's 5.30pm deadline.

At around 5.10pm on Wednesday Deane contacted Monaghan chairman Brian Treanor and RTÉ reports that Treanor told Deane he "was happy to support" him, which Deane has saved as a voicemail on his phone.

The Carlow man said the difficulty arose as a "technological failure" meant Treanor "was unable to get the email [confirming his support] to go through to the Farm Centre".

However, speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal on Thursday, Treanor confirmed that he said he would be happy to support Deane but only on the condition that the other candidate left looking for a final nomination, outgoing IFA deputy president Tim O'Leary, pulled out of the race.

"I made that very clear to him [Deane]. I told him, and it is saved on the voicemail, that I would support him in the interests of democracy if Tim O'Leary was gone out of the race," Treanor said.

Monaghan had been backing Tim O'Leary's nomination as president and O'Leary has confirmed to us that he did not pull out of the race before the deadline.

Deane told RTÉ that he "will be asking for an emergency council to look at this", adding he was sure "no council member will want to have me out of this race based on a technology problem".

Deane could not be reached for comment on Thursday by the Irish Farmers Journal.

Nomination process

Those who wish to be nominated as candidates in the IFA presidential election must have the signed support of six county executives, including their own. Up until the deadline on Wednesday, both Deane and O'Leary had the backing of five county executives, including their own, Carlow and Cork central respectively. They were, therefore, both awaiting that all-important sixth and final nomination, either from the Longford chair, Sean Conefrey, who was the only chair not to have nominated a candidate by the day of the deadline, or from a county chair who switched their nomination at the last minute.

Below are the nominations by county as they stood at the close of the deadline on Wednesday:

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A day of high drama at the IFA

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