Thousands to get stuck in - until the ploughs come home

A FARM on the edge of a Co Cork village is set to be transformed into the equivalent of a bustling town that will be packed with up to 150,000 people over the next three days.

Final preparations for the National Ploughing Championships will be made today at the sprawling tented complex that has sprung up on the 400-acre farm of Dick and Maureen Forrest in Mogeely.

The rural festival organised by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) will be officially opened at noon tomorrow by President Mary McAleese. It continues on Wednesday and Thursday.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will be among the visitors tomorrow.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is also expected to attend amid news of decommissioning of IRA weapons.

United States Ambassador James C Kenny will be among the diplomats at the event, which is being held in Co Cork for the ninth time in 74 years.

Over 300 competitors will seek 17 national titles on soil which the judges will plough-test this evening. Monsignor Denis O’Callaghan, vicar general of the Diocese of Cloyne (Catholic) and Rev Alan Marley, Dean of Cloyne (Church of Ireland), will lead an ecumenical blessing of the grounds.

The championships are costing an estimated €1.8 million to stage and are believed to be worth up to €20m to the regional economy.

There will be a multi million euro display of farm machinery and other goods on nearly 800 trade stands, covering 50 acres.

The site will be serviced by 25km of electric cable, 500 power points, a 75,000 gallon water supply, 30 catering units, 8km of track way and a state-of-the-art mobile phone network.

Ploughing plots have been marked out on 200 acres of grounds. And a further 170 acres have been designated for free car parking on the approaches to the site.

Gardaí, in consultation with Cork County Council have drawn up a major traffic plan, which involves detours, one-way systems and parking restrictions.

Some 200 gardaí, including members of the aerial and mounted units, will be on duty, backed up by 500 NPA stewards.

Six ambulances will be available in case of emergencies and miles of rope have been provided for the competition plots, where 40 judges will officiate.

The NPA, headed by chairman Michael Mahon, and the Cork East Ploughing Association, under the chairmanship of Jimmy McCarthy, have put months of work into organising the championships, now regarded as Europe’s biggest outdoor agricultural event.

NPA spokeswoman Anna Marie McHugh said preparations are nearing completion and everything is going according to schedule.

She advised people traveling to Mogeely to try and avoid the rush period.

Met Éireann is predicting rain and high winds today and blustery conditions tomorrow, with sunny spells and some showers. It will be mainly dry for a time on Wednesday, with sunny spells, but wet and windy weather will develop later.

The weather will be unsettled and changeable on Thursday, with some wet and windy conditions expected and the message to those planning to attend is: ‘bring the wellies!’