Nominations have closed for the positions of IFA president, deputy president and regional chairs, for which elections now take place every two years.

Sitting IFA president Joe Healy was the only nominee and has therefore been returned unopposed for a second term, starting in January 2018.

IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy was also returned unopposed.

Former chair of Wicklow IFA Tom Short was nominated unchallenged for the position of South Leinster regional chair.

He will succeed James Murphy, who will complete his second term at the January 2018 AGM.

Ulster/North Leinster

Meanwhile, there are two nominees for the position of Ulster/North Leinster chair.

They are IFA poultry chair Nigel Renaghan and Cavan IFA chair James Speares. The two candidates will contest the regional chair election in ballots at the seven county executives in Ulster/North Leinster in November and December, with the count taking place in December.

The successful candidate will succeed the outgoing Ulster/North Leinster chair Bert Stewart.

Rule change

The IFA executive council has passed a rule change whereby votes of the branch delegates at the county executive meetings will be weighted according to the membership of that branch, replacing the link to turnout in the presidential election.

Eight to 25 such members constitute one vote and every additional 25 such members or part thereof constitute one additional identical vote.

Munster and Connacht

The Munster regional chair John Coughlan was nominated and returned unopposed and the Connacht regional chair Padraic Joyce was nominated and returned unopposed.

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