It may be only a little more than a year since the IFA elected Joe Healy and the senior officers, but elections are due before the year’s end. The IFA voted to return to a voting system every two years.

That said, nobody expects a challenge to either president Joe Healy or his deputy Richard Kennedy. The returning officer/treasurer position will be keenly contested as Jer Bergin steps down. Among the names being mentioned are dairy chair Sean O’Leary, farm family chair Maura Canning and Tipperary North chair Tim Cullinan.

Names being circulated for James Murphy’s position in south Leinster include Pat Farrell (Kildare), Tom Shortt (Wicklow), and Tom Doyle and Pat Murray (both Wexford). The other impending retiree is Bert Stewart in Ulster/North Leinster. Cavan’s James Speares, Louth’s Matthew McGreehan, Kenneth Bray from Westmeath and Nigel Reneghan, the current poultry chair, are being mentioned.

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John Coughlan in Munster and Padraic Joyce in Connacht are only a year into their positions, and unlikely to face any challenge.