Nominations opened last week for the position of deputy president in the IFA as well as the regional chair positions. A few are thought to be sniffing around the positions in south Leinster, north Leinster / Ulster, Connacht and Munster.

The biggest fight would appear to be in the west.

Incumbent Connacht chair is Tom Turley and he is understood to be keen on running again, while current Mayo IFA county chair Padraic Joyce and former Roscommon chair John O’Beirne are also understood to be interested.

The rules require a candidate to get the backing of his or her own county as well as one other from the province.

Therefore, if those three run, one of them will miss out.

Turley has done good work on the flooding in recent weeks, but could be tainted somewhat by recent events in the IFA.

As I understand it, Joyce and O’Beirne have support either inside or outside their own respective county which could result in Turley being excluded. County executives are meeting this week, so expect more details in this week's Irish Farmers Journal.

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