The efficiency of Tuesday’s IFA election count was a tribute to the professionalism of the association’s staff.

A handful shy of 60,000 votes across the presidential and deputy presidential elections were all scanned, validated, checked and counted in time for supper.

Only when the count went live could those who had put the system to handle the new postal vote in place be sure it would work properly. The extra 7,000 votes cast over 2019 vindicated the switch to a hybrid postal/branch voting system.

The candidates were no less impressive than the counters. This was particularly true of those who didn’t carry the day. Martin Stapleton and Pat Murphy had put in every bit as much effort as Francie Gorman and Alice Doyle. They exhibited grace and class in their concession speeches. A gruelling campaign had tested the strength of the mutual respect between the candidates. It was, if anything, strengthened.

Doyle described her victory, as one for “mná na feirme” in an echo of Mary Robinson’s words from 30 years ago. She said she had shattered IFA’s glass ceiling; should it be called a “grass ceiling”? In the excitement of the moment, she referred to herself as president, but Gorman is unlikely to be looking for someone to taste his food over the next four years for fear of a coup.

Indeed, the proximity of Gorman and Doyle to each other in south Leinster meant the swelled vote in Laois, Carlow, Wexford and Kilkenny from the two campaigns was a decisive factor in both outcomes.

The people Gorman motivated to vote also supported Doyle almost en bloc, and vice versa. Yes, there were sectoral loyalties in play, but Stapleton and Murphy didn’t have the vote boost of another candidate in the parallel election in their own heartland.

For Gorman, Doyle, and the new regional chairs, Brendan Golden, Paul O’Brien and Conor O’Leary, the hard work starts now. For those who lost out, there will be disappointment, but there should be no regrets. No stone was left unturned, and they played their part in what was a much-needed affirmation of the relevance of IFA to farm families across the country.