Nigel Renaghan is the new IFA regional chair for Ulster/North Leinster, having been elected last week.

The Monaghan poultry and beef farmer previously chaired the poultry committee, and ran for the deputy presidency two years ago. He and Tom Short, who was elected unopposed as south Leinster chair, will formally take over from Bert Stewart and James Murphy respectively at next month’s AGM. Short is a tillage farmer from Wicklow.

Jer Bergin

Treasurer/returning officer Jer Bergin will step down at that point, with a number of names being linked to succeed him, including both Murphy and Stewart, along with Tim Cullinan from Tipperary and Pat Murphy of Galway.

Maura Canning is another name in the frame. She has completed her term of office as farm family chair. Caroline Farrell from Kildare has been elected to succeed her. Other committee chairs due to retire by rote include Sean O’Leary (dairy), John Lynskey (sheep) Pat Dunne (hill), and Gerry Reilly (horticulture).

The animal health committee, newly reconstructed, will also elect a chair to succeed Bert Stewart, who had chaired the ad-hoc advisory group.

Finally, there is a significant turnover among county chairs. In addition to the recent elections of Imelda Walsh and Erica O’Keeffe in Tipperary, counties Cork (north), Waterford, Galway, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Meath and Kilkenny will elect new chairs before the AGM on Tuesday, 18 January.