Francie Gorman has been elected the 17th president of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).

The count took place at the Castleknock Hotel, Co Dublin, on Tuesday 12 December. Almost 30,000 votes were cast throughout the course of the election.

Gorman, who was up against Limerick’s Martin Stapleton in a two-horse race, won the election by 16,699 votes to 13,210.

The victorious drystock farmer, who hails from Ballinakill, Co Laois, had a slight edge on voting just two hours in, when counting had been completed for 157 branches (16%).

Some 2,422 votes had gone to Francie Gorman, with 2,075 to Martin Stapleton at that early stage.

As lunchtime approached on Tuesday, a total of 40% of votes in the presidential election had been counted, of which Gorman had 6,122, while Stapleton had 5,167.

When 60% (16,940) of votes were counted, Gorman was well ahead with 9,139 votes to Stapleton’s 7,801.

Gorman topped the poll in his home county of Laois, as well as Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim and north Leinster.

Meanwhile, Stapleton had the largest share of the votes in the Munster counties.

Gorman will take over the presidency from the current president Tim Cullinan in January at the association’s AGM.