As declarations continue to be made in the run-up to the IFA elections, environment chair Thomas Cooney has said that he will withdraw his candidacy for deputy president, if IFA rural development chair Joe Brady announces he will run for president.

Both men are from the same IFA branch in Cavan, and Cooney believes that it would weaken the Cavan position if two candidates were put forward.

Official notice

Although Joe Brady has yet to officially declare his interest in running for president, Cooney said he understood that Brady was still interested in running.

Addressing a Cavan IFA meeting on Wednesday evening, Cooney said: “While there is no rule in the IFA to stop Cavan from putting a candidate forward for both positions, I believe it would not be fair on either the candidate or you, the members, who would be helping to canvas.

“So, in the event of Joe formally declaring, I will withdraw from the deputy race and offer my full support to Joe to become president.”

In the running

Currently, there are three candidates in the running for IFA deputy president, Connacht chair Padraic Joyce, Kildare’s Brian Rushe and Cavan’s Thomas Cooney.

There are also three names that have been put forward for the president race - Tipperary’s Tim Cullinan, the current IFA treasurer, Wicklow’s Angus Woods, the sitting livestock chair, and current Munster regional chair John Coughlan.

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