New road may sink plans for World Ploughing Championships in 2006

FEARS are growing that Ireland could lose a world-class agricultural event worth millions of euro as the lands earmarked to host the showcase contest are to be bulldozed to make way for a new road.

Carlow was set to host the World Ploughing Championships in 2006. But farm land which was to be used for the event is to be bought up to make way for the new N9 road from Waterford to Kilcullen, it has emerged.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) will today outline exactly what lands will be impacted by the new route. Compensation will be agreed at a later date and construction will begin late next year.

But a large chunk of the Doyle farm in Busherstown in Co Carlow is included in the land due to be compulsorily purchased by the NRA. The exact site where the ploughing was due to take place in 2006 will be a building site by 2006, the NRA confirmed. And is said that this was outlined in drawings for the route as far back as 2001.

National Ploughing Association PRO Anna-Marie McHugh said they have now hit a crisis situation. They only learned of the road plan after the site was chosen at the end of September. And unless an alternative site can be found within weeks, Ireland will lose the event, she fears.

“This event is the Olympics of the agricultural community. The US was to host the event, but we managed to get it as we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NPA. It would be hugely embarrassing if we had to cancel.

“We have already presented a full package to the board of the world championships, including maps of the venue and precisely where the ploughing competitions were to take place. We got the event at the last minute when the US could not host it because of the fallout from September 11. Now we face the prospect of having to start all over again with a new site, or even lose the competition altogether.

“This event features 30 different participating countries as well as 500 official delegates, and hundreds of thousands of people were due here over the four day event. We haven’t given up hope of finding an alternative site. But it doesn’t look good,” she said.

To host the event, the National Ploughing Association requires 200 acres of prime ploughing land, as well as 200 acres in reserve. It would require almost as much again for car parking, trade stands and other attractions.

Another site just four miles down the road in Carlow which will host the National Ploughing Championships next year. But it just isn’t big enough to host the world event.