Day one of the competitions at this year’s National Ploughing Championships (NPC) at Ratheniska have gotten off to the best possible start.
Ground conditions were excellent, with competitors able to perform to the highest standard.
The stubble site used at the NPC is well-known to most of the competitors taking part this year.
The recent harvest had taken place in good conditions, with the result that all of the plots marked out gave all of the competitors a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their skill sets.
The first inter-county ploughing match in Ireland took place back in 1931. Flash forward nine decades plus, to 2024, and the sport continues to grow from strength-to-strength.
The ploughing sites at Ratheniska extend to 180ac.
A traditional highlight of day one at the NPC is the three-furrow conventional class. This year, a total of 14 competitors took part.
All had come through a series of competitions within their own respective counties prior to having the honour of taking part at Ratheniska.
The winner of the event was Colm Dineen, from Kerry. The runner-up was Richard Byrne from Co. Wexford, with Richard Keegan, from Co. Carlow, coming in third place.
Other results from day one at Ploughing 2024
Novice Reversible Class
1st: Eugene O’Donovan, west Cork;
2nd: Charlie Bracken, Co. Offaly;
3rd: Sean McHugh, Co. Laois.
Three-furrow Conventional Junior Class
1st: Darragh Egan, Co. Offaly;
2nd: Peter Buchanan, Co. Donegal;
3rd: Liam Hamilton, Co. Wicklow.
Intermediate Conventional Plough Class
1st: John Cottrell, Co. Kilkenny;
2nd: Sean Monaghan, Co. Longford;
3rd: Stanley Deane, west Cork.
Intermediate Reversible Class
1st: Eric Wickham, Co. Wexford;
2nd: Tommy McCarthy, Co. Kerry;
3rd: Joseph Slattery, Tipperary north.
Under-21 Conventional Junior Class
1st: Aine Gray, Co. Kildare;
2nd: Shane Doyle, Co. Kilkenny;
3rd: Dylan Beirne, Co. Roscommon.
Under-40 Horse Class
1st: Jeremiah Delaney, Cork east;
2nd: Killian Lydon, Co. Galway;
3rd: Jonathan Trant, Co. Kerry.