The redoubtable ‘Farmer Phil‘ and other celebrities are all set for a fun-filled family day at this year’s Longford Ploughing Championships, which will be held on John and Helen Kiernan’s farm in Granard tomorrow (Sunday, March 27).
Longford’s ‘Farmer Phil’ will share his ploughing skills with Jimmy Connell, aka Jimmy Jests; Galway sheep and suckler farmer Declan, known online as ‘I do agri’; and country music star Stuart Moyles, in a special celebrity ploughing competition.
The celebrities will plough under strict supervision by a Longford ploughing mentor. It will be the first opportunity for many to meet Farmer Phil in over two years.
Added to the ploughing competitions, a big celebration of outdoor music will start at 12 noon, with a sound system and crew on site for the first time ever, and the outdoor dance floor back.
Dynamic local band, 4Degrees West, will team up with members of John Dungan Comhaltas Ceoltóirí and bring music to the spring air with a special guest appearance by award-winning country music singer, Stuart Moyles.
The entertainment line-up also includes comedian Jimmy Jests, Declan of ‘I Do Agri’ and Farmer Phil.
Abbeylara GAA will hold the ‘Hang Tough’ challenge among its selection of family games.
Graffogue, Co. Longford farmer Michelle Shaughnessy will showcase some of her herd of Highland cattle at the event.
There will also be trade stands; a contest for the most appropriately dressed woman; and a dog show on the day.
Vintage enthusiasts Eamon Creamer, Gabriel Creamer and John Gilligan, will display a few motors from yesteryear, which they are currently restoring, and Johnston Farm Machinery will demonstrate the Bury range of disc harrows.
Farmers can view the machine in action and consider the options for their reseeding projects. The new 8S range of Massey will appear in Granard also.
Ploughing competitors
A team of six ploughing competitors represented Longford at the National Ploughing Championships, held behind closed gates at Ratheniska, Co. Laois, from September 15 to 17 last.
Three of the team came home with medals and Edgeworthstown woman Sinead Monaghan, who ploughed in the farmerette class, was narrowly pipped into fourth place.
The winners were: Under-21 conventional plough class junior silver medal: Daniel Haughey; junior conventional plough class bronze medal: Martin Reilly; and under-28 conventional class junior bronze medal: Andrew Stewart.
Edgeworthstown native Sean Monaghan ploughed in the intermediate conventional class and Anthony Reynolds in the senior conventional cup at Ratheniska.
This year’s National Ploughing Championships will take place in Ratheniska from September 20 to 22.