There is just one week to go, until the 85th annual National Ploughing Championships get underway at Screggan, Tullamore Co. Offaly.
Visitors to this year’s Ploughing Championships will have in excess of 1,500 hundred trade stands and over 800ac to explore over the course of the three-day event.
There will be close to 330 contestants competing across 22 different plough classes, including classes for horses, reversible ploughs and vintage.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s first ever tractor football matches will take place at this year’s event which are expected to attract big numbers.
A charity calves auction and the Machine of the Year competition will also all be new to this year’s Ploughing.
Speaking at the launch of the event, Managing Director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) Anna McHugh said the Ploughing Championships brings people together from all sectors of society.
“The Championships not only provides a national stage for showcasing all things agricultural, but also brings together people from all sectors of Irish society both rural and urban, to enjoy three days immersed in country living.
“It is great to see the phenomenal interest in the Ploughing Championships with countries such as Australia, France, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Germany, Canada and Belgium exhibiting,” McHugh said.
With 281,000 visitors attending last year and over 1,500 stands the Ploughing Championships is one of the market leading Agriculture Trade Fairs worldwide.
This year the National Ploughing Association (NPA) are piloting a ‘park n ride’ system for Dublin traffic in an effort to improve the visitor experience.
The service will be complimentary and operate frequently each way throughout the three days, giving visitors the added benefit of a drop off point within a few hundred metres of exhibition arena.
The National Ploughing Championships will take place from Tuesday, September 20 to Thursday, September 22 in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly.