Fine weather reaps crop of posh cuts and politicians

A TILLAGE farmer eavesdropping on some of the talk among the women at the National Ploughing Championships in Farmley, Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny, would have been initially delighted. For some of the chat in the tented town referred to fine crops, good cuts and even extensions.

The plight of farmers trying to save the harvest and secure a longer deadline from the Government and the European Commission for the completion of farm waste management works was clearly in the mind of the ladies.

Or so it seemed. But it turned out these women were not farmer WAGs (wives and girlfriends) worried about saving the crops still in the ground. They were stylish fashionistas showing more interest in glamour headlines than testing headlands.

Their overheard comments were actually related to Posh Spice’s new short hairdo which has the fashion world in a tizzy.

However, there was no sign that “The Ploughing”, a great annual outing of obligation for rural people, was going all posh, although the daily fashion shows attracted a lot of interest.

Mrs David Beckham certainly didn’t follow the furrows of Cuffesgrange, but a stylish and good humoured Tánaiste Mary Coughlan did, as she officially opened the event, wearing a cerise-pink coat, a megawatt smile and an attractive hairstyle.

“When you consider the weather that we have had this summer and look around at what has been build on the site for this year’s show, you cannot but be amazed by the effort that has gone into the last six weeks to ensuring the event could go ahead,” she said.

The dramatic turnaround in the weather attracted huge crowds and long traffic tailbacks, but, after months of downpours people were in good mood as the belated indian summer added to the colour.

Politicians, of course, were out in force to make political hay in the sunshine, with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, and the north’s Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew among the attendance.