The IFA executive council unanimously voted confidence in general secretary Pat Smith on Wednesday.

The proposal put forward by IFA president Eddie Downey expressing “strong confidence” in the general secretary was a counter-proposal to the motion from the Laois IFA expressing dissatisfaction in Smith’s performance.

In response to the unanimous support, the Laois motion was withdrawn by its proposer, Laois chairman Pat Hennessy.

A separate motion of no confidence in the general secretary that had been presented to the president earlier that day was also then withdrawn, in light of the clear support expressed for the general secretary. That motion had been presented by four county chairmen – Carlow’s Derek Deane, Tipperary North’s Tim Cullinan, Kildare’s Pat Farrell, and Laois’s Pat Hennessy.