Ratheniska ready for Ploughing fans

The 800-acre site for the three-day national ploughing championships, which begin at Ratheniska, Co Laois, tomorrow is ready to host Europe’s largest outdoor agricultural event.

And with a mixture of mixed weather forecast for the coming days, the sprawling venue is said to be in great condition to accommodate visitors and ploughing competitors alike.

Last year, a record 279,500 people, which was 51,500 more than the pevious year, attended the championships that were first held in Athy, Co Kildare, in 1931.