National Ploughing Championships: All Government departments gathered under one roof

The Government of Ireland village is a new addition to the National Ploughing Championships and it represents a very innovative approach to how various government departments and services are engaging with the public. This is joined-up thinking at work in one of Ireland’s premier social events.

Aileen McGloin, director of marketing and communications with the all-Ireland food safety agency Safefood, says what it means to have such a gathering within the heart of the ploughing fest: “This is the first time that there’s been an all-of-government approach — a Government Village if you like — at the Ploughing Championships. There will be 19 different marquees and 140 different exhibitors across 3.2 acres. We’ve never had this kind of centrally-aligned provision of information on services to the public before. This is a co-ordinated approach.