It was more like an enthronement than anything else yesterday in the plush surroundings of the Doyle Green Isle Hotel in Clondalkin when Mr Tom Parlon took over as the new president of the Irish Farmers' Association.
Mr Parlon, the tough man of the IFA, who turned the lobby of the Department of Agriculture into a sheep pen some years ago, delivered a series of pledges about what he would do over the next four years.
But he made it clear that he wanted to improve the public image of farmers and farming and said the IFA's success in achieving results would be influenced by the public perception of farmers.
As an immediate first step, he said, he had arranged to meet the editors of all the national papers and RTE to bring about a better understanding of farming and the new challenges facing them.
Farmers, he said, were proud of their role as quality food producers and the contribution they made to rural society.
They cared for the national herd, protected the environment and had a direct interest in a clean countryside.
But the day was almost spoiled for Mr Parlon and the IFA when the newly-elected deputy president, Mr John Dillon, made his inaugural speech which he delivered without it first being seen by the press office.
He told the elect they were servants not masters and that a yawning gap had grown between the IFA and its membership. He accused the organisation of having a quota mentality which limited its own potential.
The applause which greeted his remarks was about as warm as December sun.
There are indeed interesting times ahead in the IFA.