The 2018 published book A History of Ploughing in Co. Galway is a must read for anyone with an interest in the rural way of life.
A complimentary copy of the book was left on my desk at last week’s National Ploughing Championships. Once lifted, I found it hard to put the volume down.
Written by Co. Tipperary man Tom Fahey, it relates the development of competitive ploughing in Co. Galway over many years. But more than that, it also discusses the impact of this centrally important agricultural development on Irish agriculture over many centuries.
A History of Ploughing in Co. Galway
The initial chapters of the book summarise the origins of ploughing and the ways in which the technique has been adapted to suit the soil conditions that prevail in Ireland.
In addition to tracing the origins of ploughing, right back to prehistoric times, the book tells the fascinating story behind the evolution of the ploughing match – from the early 19th century through to the establishment of the National Ploughing Association (NPA). It also traces the development of the organisation to the present day.
The fourth chapter of the book is dedicated to the Tuam sugar factory. But more than that, it tells the real story of how beet was grown in the days when horse power was king and the unrelenting hours put in by farmers, simply to get a crop out of the ground – lest we forget.
Thereafter, it’s very much a case of profiling the development of competition in Co. Galway over the past nine decades.
Tom Fahey
A native of Moyglass in Co. Tipperary and a graduate of University College Dublin (UCD), Tom Fahey worked with An Foras Taluntais (now Teagasc) until seconded to the then newly formed Irish Farm Accounts Co-op (IFAC) in 1975.
Later in 1979, he moved to Athenry, where he helped open one of the organisation’s first field offices.
Tom has had a strong association with the sport of ploughing in Galway for 40 years.
He was appointed Galway director of the NPA in 1992 and, in 1998, was voted onto that organisation’s executive. The following year he was elected chairman before going on to become assistant managing director, a position he held until 2012.
In a very poignant way, the book tells the story of just how much co—operation and voluntary input has been required, over many generations, to make ploughing the sporting activity it is today.
Photographs aplenty are included throughout the 200 plus pages. They, instantly, bring the reader back to another time in a very effective manner.
A History of Ploughing in Co. Galway is a truly unique publication: It will stand the test of time for many years.