The National Ploughing Championships may have only taken place last month, but attention has now firmly turned to next year for budding competitors.

Across Ireland, local matches are currently taking place, allowing ploughmen and women to build up points towards next year's national event.

It was recently confirmed that the National Ploughing Championships will once again take place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, from September 15-17, 2026, marking its second consecutive year at the venue.

Kerry ploughing

The new season for Kerry Ploughing Association is now well underway.

Up to 20 competitors recently gathered for the Abbeydorney Ploughing Match in the north of the county.

The event - held on Corridan's farm, Ballysheen, Abbeydorney - included a range of classes such as Senior Tractor, Reversible, Vintage 2-Furrow, and Classic Vintage.

Colin Ruttle and Michael John Dillane from Limerick Ploughing Association were judges for the event.

Thomas Healy, National Ploughing Association (NPA) director for Co. Kerry, told Agriland there was a "high standard" at the Abbeydorney Ploughing Match.

"Ground conditions are very good altogether, lovely and dry and fine soil. There is a good standard of work," he said.

The event also saw the next generation of ploughing competitors take to the field.

"Thankfully, we have an under-21 competitor today. We had no competitor in the under-21 [class] for the last couple of years.

"Gearóid Harty is on his maiden voyage today so hopefully he will keep at it.

"Ryan Wharton from Killarney is in the Macra class as well. It's very encouraging to see two young fellas starting off.

"It was badly need now because we hadn't any competitor I think for the last two years in the under-21 and under-28 at the all-Ireland and that's disappointing," Healy said.

Tom O'Mahony, public relations officer (PRO) for the Kerry Ploughing Association, was delighted to have a fine day for the competition, which he felt helped draw more spectators.

"There's great competition there between senior tractors and reversibles," he said.

"All the points will add up, there's six matches in Kerry altogether. That will determine who will goes to the all-Ireland, which is the ultimate," O'Mahony added.

Click on the gallery below to see more images from the Abbeydorney Ploughing match:

Ploughing matches will continue in Kerry over the coming weeks, with the action taking place in Ardfert tomorrow (Sunday, October 19), followed by Ballyheigue (County Championship Match) on October 26.

Attention will then turn to Ballyduff on November 2, with the final event being the Killarney match in Fossa on November 9.