President Michael D Higgins to open ploughing event that has ‘global interest’

By Ray Ryan

The three-day National Ploughing Championships will be officially opened in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, at noon today by President Michael D Higgins.

He has often described the event as “an outstanding example of the Irish genius” and “the most beloved rendezvous in Ireland’s rural calendar”. At today’s opening ceremony, the President will pay tribute to the skills and abilities of those participating in the championships and reflect on the issues that affect Irish agriculture, farming families and rural communities.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and New Zealand trade commissioner (UK and Ireland) Nick Swallow will be among the visitors.

A Garda traffic plan, which came into force at dawn, is being implemented across the Midlands by 300 members, supported by aerial and mounted units.

More than 2,300 temporary staff, most of them volunteers, have been deployed by the NPA to run the event, which cost more than €5m to stage last year and is estimated to be worth at least €50m to the economy.

Gardaí are urging intending visitors to read the traffic plan in advance, decide on their route and factor in at least double the normal journey time it would take.

National Ploughing Association managing director Anna May McHugh said the event provides a national and international stage to showcase all that is great about Ireland. “It is fantastic to see the phenomenal global interest in the event with countries such as Australia, France, USA, Denmark, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand, Hungary, Uganda, Czech Republic, Germany, Canada and Belgium attending.”

The championships, which had a record attendance of 291,500 people last year, will be held on an 800-acre which will have 1,700 trade exhibitors and 300 ploughing competitors.