The highly popular all-Ireland tractor pulling championships will take place in Ballyboy, Co. Offaly on Saturday (September 30).
It will be held at ‘Rev ‘N’ Roar’, an event that kicks off at 12:00p.m and features the All-Ireland Tractor Pulling and Dyno Day.
Every year a number of qualifying competitions are held throughout Ireland and those who qualify will then compete for the title of the All-Ireland Tractor Pulling Champion.
On the day, visitors can view the popular vintage machinery and threshing display, or follow the progress of the potato-picking championships, while being able to visit trade stalls and the food area.
Machinery enthusiasts will also be able to see the truck show, with the show categories including best new truck, best rigid, and best livery.
The event’s annual dog show also has a total of 10 classes ranging from best dressed dog to the dog with the waggiest tail, beginning at 1:30p.m.
Irish tractor pulling
The Irish Tractor Pulling Committee was set up to promote the sport of tractor pulling in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The All-Ireland competition is being held after the recent passing of the chairman of the committee, Monaghan man, Campbell Gibson.
According to the committee, when tractor pulling was introduced into Ireland in September 1998 at Nutts Corner, Co. Antrim, Gibson was “at the forefront of it all to lend a helping hand”.
He was deeply involved in many tractor pulls, tractor runs, vintage runs and field days across Ireland, helping to support local fundraisers and charities.
Gibson was known to restore, fix, design, and engineer his own creations that he referred to as “Camsport crazy contraptions”.
The committee said that “with knowledge to burn and a passion to build, everything Campbell [did] was precisely timed and perfected to the finest detail, making him an engineering genius of his time”.
Tickets can be bought online for Rev ‘N’ Roar and it is free for children to attend.
The Irish Tractor Pulling Committee is holding the event in cooperation with Ballyboy Community Development and Tidy Towns, who are fundraising to construct a new community centre in Ballyboy village.
Donations will be given from the event to Jigsaw, Accessible Counselling Tullamore, and Embrace FARM charities, which focus on providing mental health awareness and support services.