310 farmers will give it wellie as they plough furrow for national glory

THE sheer size of the National Ploughing Championships, which start in Ballacolla, Co Laois, today and continue until Thursday, became clear on the site yesterday.

Favoured by Indian summer weather, works teams put the finishing touches to the 200 acres of competition ground; 300 acres of car parking; 50 acres of trade exhibitions and a number of additional acres for practical machinery demonstrations. The site on the lands of David and Heather Lawlor and Robin and Ann Talbot will be ploughed by 310 competitors and the exhibition area will be occupied by 650 trade stands.

Some 25 miles of electric cable has been laid. Provision has also been made for a 50,000 gallon water supply. Phone lines have been installed; 100 toilet units put in place, and 30 catering units erected. To facilitate the movement of heavy machinery in and out of the site and to provide comfort for more than 100,000 visitors, the National Ploughing Association has laid five miles of steel trackway to supplement the excellent farm roads already in position at Ballacolla.