Final stage interviews took place on Friday, with three names understood to have been questioned on their vision for the association.

Two of the three names have been well flagged in agriculture circles, but the identity of the third person has been kept closely guarded.

The Irish Farmers Journal exclusively reported over the past three weeks that both James Brady and Professor Gerry Boyle had withdrawn from the contest leaving it open to three others.

It is almost one year to the day since Pat Smith announced that he was leaving the IFA.

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IFA on the hunt for a new chief