Anna May McHugh on how the National Ploughing Championships grew into a €14m rural showcase

From fashion shows and family days out to disappearing crafts, the National Ploughing Championships has become much more than a farming event

17-year-old Aaleasha Sweeney from Co Sligo competing in the Under-40 horse category with her grandfather Colman Cogan. While the competition is still at the heart of the National Ploughing Championships, Anna May McHugh's vision was always for a bigger event. Picture: Larry Cummins

Anna May McHugh said she remembers first suggesting that a fashion show should be included in the National Ploughing Championships.

Up until the 1980s, the Ploughing was solely geared at competitors and exhibitors, with mostly men in attendance, and “nothing for the women”.