The pilgrims take a leaf out of the farmers’ book

IT was a case of the Plough and the Pilgrims in Athy when the logistics of organising the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin next June were compared with those for the ploughing championships.

Both events attract large crowds, involve a huge number of volunteers and are the focus of intense media interest.

The congress, which is held once every four years, will attract pilgrims from five continents when it is held in Dublin next summer at the RDS and Croke Park.

Details of the congress were outlined on an ecumenical stand being shared by several Christian churches.

A congress bell, which will travel through 26 dioceses in Ireland, was rung by visitors to the stand, where there were also short prayer periods.

The parable of the weeds among the wheat and that of the sower were the apt choice for readings on the stand, which church leaders visited.

In recent years the championships has provided an opportunity for ecumenical collaboration between the Christian faiths.

The Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland, as well as the Eucharistic Congress shared space at this week’s event.

Archbishops Diarmuid Martin (Catholic) and Michael Jackson (Church of Ireland) and Rev Ian D Henderson, Methodist Church president in Ireland, were joined in prayers by National Ploughing Association managing director Anna May McHugh.

Before putting on suitable footwear to head for the ploughing plots, Archbishop Martin described the championships as a big national event.

Asked if there were any lessons for the congress organisers from the logistics of the ploughing, he joked: “Yeah, we are going to supply everybody at the congress with wellingtons.”

As a Dubliner, Archbishop Martin said he has no farming background and knows little about it, although he had friends who lived on a farm in Ballyfermot where he grew up.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was given a warm reception by the crowd as he visited the ploughing plots, met people on the walkways and spoke with exhibitors in glowing sunshine.

He made presentations on behalf of the National Ploughing Association to Sean MacConnell, agriculture correspondent with the Irish Times and John Caffrey, chief photographer with the Irish Farmers Journal, to mark their forthcoming retirements.

It was also a nostalgic day for three daughters of Wexford man Ned Jones, who won the first national senior horse title in Athy 80 years ago.

Anne Fanning, Gurteen, Gorey; Maureen Bushe, Killaneril, Gorey; and Betty Condren, Arklow, Co Wicklow, said they were delighted to attend.

His plough, which is in the family’s possession, was on display at the event and they were photographed beside it.

They said the horses used in ploughing competitions in their father’s era were often transported to the venues by train.

Next year, the ploughing championships will be held at Heathpark, New Ross, in their native Co Wexford.

That will be a further tribute to their father and all the other pioneer ploughmen who opened the ground to start a great tradition all those years ago.