‘I felt Irish’: Palestinian ambassador praises Irish culture during visit to the Ploughing Championships

Ambassadors, students, craftspeople and competitors showcased Ireland’s farming heritage, culture and traditions at the second day of the event

A boy looks at a Lego model of an Irish town nestled near a mountain, waterfall and river.

Jakub Kuberski, a graduate with the Office of Public Works, explains to curious children that the town will flood if a lot of water falls and shoots down the hillside, overcoming the plastic homes and shops.

But after the boy, Luke, puts some spongy material under the Lego ground atop the hill, a bundle of sticks across the waterfall, and builds a flood defence wall at the town, the next bucketload of water is mostly diverted along the river.

“You’ve saved all the people, well done!” says Luke’s father.

Presenter James Kavanagh gets hands on to help at the Certified Irish Angus School’s Competition. Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke

Luke is impressed, as is the Palestinian ambassador Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, who was also watching the demonstration.

She and Canadian ambassador Dennis King, along with a representative from the Ukrainian embassy, were shown around the Ploughing by social protection minister Dara Calleary yesterday.

“The first thing that everyone advised I had to buy was these special shoes,” she told the Irish Examiner, pointing at her boots.

“I felt Irish, I felt the Irish culture in this place, I feel everything says ‘I’m Irish’ and how you are proud of your culture. Culture is something that goes deep in our identity.”

Gardaí Bryan McGuire and Amanda Cunningham at the Portwest welly throwing competition, in association with Dunlop, with proceeds going to the charity SOSad. Picture: Larry Cummins

Tug ’o War, lacemaking, and a student competition to rear five calves over 18 months were among the activities on show at day two of the Ploughing.

A group of Cork students from Coachford College said the Certified Irish Angus schools competition — which sees students rear five Irish Angus calves over 18 months while completing a research project — helped solidify their interest in the farming or agriculture sector.

Darragh Thompson, 17, said they started their project to find out how the animals could be fed to get more nutrition — such as protein and iron — into them.

Evan Dreeling, from Callan, at the GNI tattoo parlour to promote the ‘Dial Before You Dig’ service. Picture: Cathal Noonan

Timmy Buckley, 17, said it was helpful for him when he was working on the family farm.

“I kind of see a different picture when you know way more detail,” he said.

“It’s great to get young people into farming because obviously the amount of people that are actually going into farming is decreasing every year.”

Michael Twomey, 17, said they had advised students younger than them who are thinking of entering the competition.

“All we said is that it’s a great competition and definitely I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Enjoying a rest on Day Two at the National Ploughing Championships 2026 at Screggan. Picture: Larry Cummins

Tucked at the back of the Ploughing’s expanse, a gritty Tug ’o War battle was held between Kinletter and Killoughey, which saw one pull the other over in the first two legs, before a tiebreak that the latter won.

The engrossing spectacle involves a Haka like kick at the start, leaning back and holding, and breathing exercises to try pull someone over the line, as well as shouts of encouragement from the coach and spectators.

Jerusha Marley, from Donegal, with some of her wearable Art from Ireland. Picture: Don Moloney

In the Celebrating Culture and Sport tent, Fiona Harrington did a demonstration of ‘bobbin’ lacemaking, which is made by winding thread onto pins and then criss-crossing and twisting the thread, in line with the pattern, and tensing it.

She has been working on the black-lace piece since 2021.

She said Ireland had a rich history of lace making that dates back centuries, and it was the second biggest industry in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century.

“The industry no longer exists because people don’t pay for handmade work,” she said.

“No one is going to pay a lacemaker for the labour involved in creating something like this.”