Macra na Feirme is moving steadily towards selecting a new CEO. Last week saw the second round of interviews with, I understand, a shortlist of three candidates.

There is surprise and disappointment among many members that the shortlist did not include agriculture and rural affairs manager Derry Dillon.

The affable Kerryman is not only popular, but has a record of delivery in his current job, with the Land Mobility Service and the young farmer top-up among Macra’s achievements in recent years.

It is a case of history repeating itself, as when Edmund Connolly became Macra’s CEO, James Kelly (now the IFA’s director of services) was then the agriculture affairs manager, and was passed over for the top job.

He then went to Agri Aware, who, lo and behold, are again looking for a CEO, and never looked back.

I’m also hearing that one of the candidates on the shortlist is a person of vast experience.

While that is of course valuable, is there an age threshold for a CEO of a youth organisation?

Then again, maybe that’s just reverse discrimination on my part; the ICA does have a man as CEO after all.