Last week, I mentioned that in addition to the newly elected north Tipperary IFA chair Imelda Walsh, women were seeking the chair in Cavan (Elizabeth Ormiston) and Galway (Anne Mitchell).

Now comes the news that Erica O’Keeffe was elected unopposed in south Tipperary on Wednesday. A sheep and suckler farmer from Cashel, O’Keeffe also breeds a few horses. They will take up their roles in January. In north Cork, I understand current secretary Anne Baker will seek the chair, and is also tipped to succeed.

Maura Canning has been the only woman on the over-50 strong IFA executive council for the past four years, so it’s heartening to see a number of women elected to national positions. Canning is herself stepping down from the farm family chair on Thursday, with Caroline Farrell from Kildare and Kerry’s Bernadette O’Driscoll seeking to succeed her. Farrell spearheaded her husband Pat’s campaign for the IFA deputy presidency so is no stranger to the cut and thrust of elections.

The road from O’Driscolls’ to the Farm centre is well-travelled too, with Bernadette on the farm family committee, and husband Pat the current Kerry county chair. I hear that Breda McDonald, well known for her mentoring role on the RTÉ programme ICA Bootcamp, may also be a candidate.

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Tipperary IFA elect women chair in north and south branches

Erica O'Keeffe and Imelda Walsh end a four-year male dominance of the county chair positions in IFA.