Avonmore's first annual general meeting since its merger with Waterford Foods passed off without major incident yesterday, although a separate meeting of the co-op heard a motion of no-confidence in the new board.

Around 100 people attended the company's a.g.m.

A meeting of the co-op, attended by some 300 people, rejected a motion of no-confidence in the board of the company.

The motion - put by Mr John Cashman, one of those who opposed the merger - was rejected in a secret ballot by a margin of more than three-to-one, according to company sources.