OOLA’S Martin Stapleton launched his IFA presidential campaign in style at a packed event in the Great National Ballykisteen Hotel. The Tipperary theme continued with none other than Liam Sheedy sitting at the top table on Saturday night. He was joined by three Limerick men - county chairman Sean Lavery, former IFA vice-president Richard Kennedy and former IFA president John Dillon. They are all backing Mr Stapleton to become the next IFA president. The dairy farmer started off by revealing he hopes to do a lot better than in a previous IFA election! “Years ago, when I left Macra to join the IFA, there was a vacancy for the Limerick vice-chairperson. At my first IFA meeting, I went for the position. Not surprisingly, I didn’t win! “But after the meeting, the then Munster vice-president Donal Kelly came over to me and said: ‘Don’t let that set you back, you have shown the ability to be president of the IFA someday',” recalled Mr Stapleton. And now that “someday” has come. Limerick well to sell for a euro “With your backing, your campaigning and your votes, I will serve as the next president of the IFA!” he told the crowd. Mr Stapleton said he will make “no false promises - I offer only honesty and hard work”. He listed out the four tenets of his campaign and priorities if elected IFA president. To restore respect for farmers. To foster unity in the IFA. To ensure that we have freedom to farm. To protect our incomes so we can all have a viable livelihood. “More than ever, farmers are the backbone of rural Ireland and the reason we have an unrivalled reputation at home and abroad for producing quality food. We produce enough food to feed 40 million people! That’s our unique advantage, our source of pride, and it must never be taken for granted. “I will not accept policies that only make sense on desks in Brussels and Dublin that ignore the value of food production. Policy must get the balance between food production and environmental issues right and make sense when it hits
In Pictures: Limerick man launches IFA presidential campaign
