Macra na Feirme election candidates confirmed

Four candidates have been confirmed to run for president of young farmers' group Macra na Feirme, as the nomination process closes.

The candidates are: Eamon Cassells, Athboy, Co Meath, Paddy Delaney, Timahoe, Co Laois, Seán Finan, Ballinlough, Co Roscommon and Michelle O’Callaghan, Knockraha, Co Cork. They are all prominent Macra na Feirme members and are all involved in farming.

Mr Cassells is a lab technician at the National Cattle Breeding Centre and part-time suckler farmer.

Ms O'Callaghan is a quality assurance chemist with Pfizer and partner in her family farm.

Mr Finan is a beef farmer and construction project manager with Sisk, while Mr Delaney is a beef, sheep and tillage farmer and a malting barley plant supervisor.

Ms O’Callaghan will be the fourth woman to run for president, but only one - Catherine Buckley - won the contest. She was elected president in 2007.

Leinster vice-president

The candidates for Leinster vice-president are Noel Duffy, Ferbane, Co Offaly, Odile Evans, Arklow, Co Wicklow and Aoife Lanigan, Newpark Drive, Co Kilkenny.

There is only one candidate for Munster vice-president - Gerard Griffin, from Fermoy, Co Cork, while the northwest vice-president's position is being sought by Ray Gilmartin, from Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim and Caroline O'Dowd, from Gurteen, Co Sligo. She is the wife of outgoing president Kieran O'Dowd.

The election will take place at Macra na Feirme’s headquarters on April 7th, 2015 and the elected candidates will take up office at the organisation’s AGM on May 9th. The president holds a two-year term of office.

A series of hustings will get underway around the country next Monday.