“Munster is a very important farming community. There’s a huge production base there that needs to be protected... and they (farms) are under financial pressure and we all have to work as a collective unit. The IFA is not about any one man. It’s up to me, as Munster chairman, to bring all that together,” Coughlan said.

Coughlan, a mixed farmer from Buttevant, Co Cork, saw off fellow Corkonian John O’Brien by 1,171 votes to 609. Coughlan won all county executives in Munster, with the exception of Waterford and Cork central.

Listen to an interview with John Coughlan below:

In his concession speech, O’Brien said that farmers “can't underestimate the current income crisis on farms at the moment”

Coughlan takes over from James McCarthy who served as Munster chairman from 2013. McCarthy decided not to contest this race.

Unopposed

Elsewhere, James Murphy was returned unopposed as the south Leinster chairman, while Bert Stewart was also returned unopposed as the Ulster-north Leinster chairman.

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Full Coverage: IFA Election Day