Francie Gorman from Laois and Martin Stapleton from Limerick have been nominated to run for the 18th presidency of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), acting national returning officer Brian Rushe has confirmed.

Gorman has been nominated by Laois IFA, as well as county chairs Maurice Brady (Cavan), Jim Mulhall (Kilkenny), Pat Walsh (Offaly), Stephen Canavan (Galway) and Baden Powell (north Tipperary).

Stapleton has been nominated by Limerick IFA and county chairs Thomas Byrne (Wicklow), Conor O’Leary (Cork central), Pat Leonard (Roscommon), Donal O’Donovan (Cork west) and John Carroll (Louth).

Deputy president

Two candidates will contest the deputy presidency of IFA. They are Alice Doyle from Co Wexford and Pat Murphy from Co Galway.

Doyle has been nominated by Wexford IFA and the following county chairs: Jim Mulhall (Kilkenny), Conor O’Leary (Cork central), Baden Powell (north Tipperary), Joe Sweeney (Donegal) and Dermot Ward (Meath).

Murphy has been nominated by Galway IFA and the following county chairs: Patrick Walsh (Offaly), Donal O’Donovan (Cork west), Thomas Lane (Clare), Patrick McCormack (Monaghan) and Pat Leonard (Roscommon).

There are three regional chair positions up for re-election, which include Connacht, Munster and south Leinster and each candidate has been nominated by their own county executive.

James Gallagher from Leitrim and Brendan Golden from Mayo will run for regional chair in Connacht.

Mark Connors from Waterford, Francis Foley from Kerry and Conor O’Leary from Cork central have been nominated to run for Munster regional chair.

Tom Byrne from Wicklow, Pat Farrell from Kildare and Paul O’Brien from Kilkenny will contest the south Leinster regional chair position.

“All our branch officers, county officers and national officers are elected by farmers. The president and deputy president of [the] IFA are elected directly by members.

"They are truly representative of farmers and they carry a genuine mandate once elected,” Rushe said.

Election debates will take place in October. The list is being finalised and will be available in the coming days, according to the IFA.

Debates for the regional chairs will also take place in October, with voting on the night of each debate.

Members will receive their vote in the post and they can either return the vote by post or cast their vote at their branch AGM.

The election count is set to take place on 12 December.