Around 20 IFA branches from north Galway attended the meeting in the Ard Rí House Hotel in Tuam on Tuesday night, representing approximately 25% of the branches in the entire county. Cathal Joyce, chairman of the Cortoon-Lavally branch, said the meeting was “packed”, with around 60 members present, and there was a lot of anger expressed.
“Members feel there is a disconnect between the grassroots of the association and the executive board who have all kept their jobs in the wake of the Con Lucey report,” he said.
Joyce added that members were not happy that the vote of no confidence in the executive board on 15 December took place by secret ballot, something which other county executives, such as Limerick, have also questioned.
Therefore, north Galway voted to join Limerick IFA in protesting against the positions held by the current members of the executive board at the next executive council meeting in Dublin on 5 January.
“Our members in Galway are passionate about the IFA, otherwise they wouldn’t have been out on such a stormy winter night,” Joyce said. “But they feel they are not being listened to by the board and that these people’s positions are untenable in the wake of the report. So we will have a protest in Dublin on 5 January regarding the current structure of the organisation and the way it is being manipulated by the executive council to create jobs for the boys.”
The executive board currently comprises the four regional chairman, James McCarthy, Bert Stewart, Tom Turley and James Murphy, and deputy president Tim O’Leary and acting chairman and treasurer Jer Bergin.
Earlier in December the IFA Galway county executive as a whole passed a motion of no confidence in the IFA executive board. This motion will be brought to January's meeting.
Joe Healy for president
Asked whether he thought Joe Healy, columnist and member of the IFA farm business committee, who is understood to be allowing his name go forward as a candidate for the presidency in Galway, would be a good candidate for the county, Joyce said Healy is a “young and vibrant” candidate who is knowledgeable about agriculture and in touch with grassroots members.
“It will be a big job for whoever takes it on, but I think he’d be able for it.”
Healy was nominated as a candidate for Galway after former county chairman Michael Silke withdrew from the race.
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Further motions brought against IFA executive board
Five in the presidential race so far
Around 20 IFA branches from north Galway attended the meeting in the Ard Rí House Hotel in Tuam on Tuesday night, representing approximately 25% of the branches in the entire county. Cathal Joyce, chairman of the Cortoon-Lavally branch, said the meeting was “packed”, with around 60 members present, and there was a lot of anger expressed.
“Members feel there is a disconnect between the grassroots of the association and the executive board who have all kept their jobs in the wake of the Con Lucey report,” he said.
Joyce added that members were not happy that the vote of no confidence in the executive board on 15 December took place by secret ballot, something which other county executives, such as Limerick, have also questioned.
Therefore, north Galway voted to join Limerick IFA in protesting against the positions held by the current members of the executive board at the next executive council meeting in Dublin on 5 January.
“Our members in Galway are passionate about the IFA, otherwise they wouldn’t have been out on such a stormy winter night,” Joyce said. “But they feel they are not being listened to by the board and that these people’s positions are untenable in the wake of the report. So we will have a protest in Dublin on 5 January regarding the current structure of the organisation and the way it is being manipulated by the executive council to create jobs for the boys.”
The executive board currently comprises the four regional chairman, James McCarthy, Bert Stewart, Tom Turley and James Murphy, and deputy president Tim O’Leary and acting chairman and treasurer Jer Bergin.
Earlier in December the IFA Galway county executive as a whole passed a motion of no confidence in the IFA executive board. This motion will be brought to January's meeting.
Joe Healy for president
Asked whether he thought Joe Healy, columnist and member of the IFA farm business committee, who is understood to be allowing his name go forward as a candidate for the presidency in Galway, would be a good candidate for the county, Joyce said Healy is a “young and vibrant” candidate who is knowledgeable about agriculture and in touch with grassroots members.
“It will be a big job for whoever takes it on, but I think he’d be able for it.”
Healy was nominated as a candidate for Galway after former county chairman Michael Silke withdrew from the race.
Read more
Further motions brought against IFA executive board
Five in the presidential race so far
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