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The west has always had a reputation for being a bit different – a bit of rebel without a cause. Well, the race to become the Connacht chair of the IFA is throwing plenty of rebels, some of whom do have a cause.
Nominations for the position close in two weeks on Wednesday 3 February but there is still some jiggery-pokery expected before then.
The deputy presidential race is a slow burner and the Munster, north Leinster/Ulster and south Leinster elections are looking like being clear enough.
Tom Turley is as keen as mustard to run for his place as Connacht chair but it is not an easy path for the Galwayman to travel.
Turley is being blocked in his attempts by fellow Galweigan Bertie Roche. Roche is the Galway rep on the IFA’s environment committee.
Some of Turley’s supporters have said that Roche’s attempts are a deliberate attempt to block Turley from entering the race. One Turley-ite even said that Roche will pull out if he does get the nomination to clear the way for another unnamed candidate from the province.
Over in Roscommon, the maths have yet to be worked out. There are total of six candidates looking for one nomination. Last week, it was looking likely that former county chair John O’Beirne would have a clear run for the nomination. However, since then John Hanley, Bernard Donohue, Louis Martin, Donal Greene and Frank McKiernan have entered the equation. Cue more allegations of each man blocking the next in order to clear the way for somebody else in the province.
All we know at the minute is that Padraic Joyce from Mayo has been nominated by his county and now needs the all-important second county executive to row in behind him.
In the meantime, Sligo and Leitrim sit like a couple of school children waiting to be picked for the football team. None of the bigger boys know who they want on their team yet but they all know that they need one of them.
IFA presidential candidates interviews:
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