Ratheniska is set to host the National Ploughing Championships again in 2014 as the event returns to Co. Laois for a second year. With record attendance figures this year, organisers made the announcement at the close of business today. Speaking after the announcement, Managing Director, Ms Anna May McHugh said “We are delighted to be staging the event here again next year. Feedback form landowners, the local community and the wider public has been very positive and all were enthusiastic to see a return. Speaking also with many of the exhibitors and visitors over the past few days, all were very vocal about their wishes to have it staged here again. I think the site has proved very popular for several reasons including its central location and surrounding road & rail network. By and large most people have been travelling to and from the site with relative ease and the minimum of traffic delays. This has certainly helped the event in being such a success this year and we hope to repeat this again in 2014”.
Early light showers starting off, the weather soon picked up with sunny spells breaking through just in time for the arrival of An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD. Making his first port of call to the plots, the Taoiseach met with several of Irelands top Ploughmen before attending several agricultural stands such as Beet Ireland, Macra na Feirne, ICMSA, IFA and Lely Ireland. Stepping out on the trackway between stands, the Taoiseach was joined by 57, 000 visitors throughout the day, bringing the total attendance figure for the 2013 National Ploughing Championships to approximately 228,000. This is a new record in the history of the event breaking all attendance figures previously set.
The highlight of today, and the week for most ploughing enthusiasts came with the announcement of Irelands two representatives for the World Ploughing Championships in 2014. Congratulations must go to John Whelan of Wexford competing in the Reversible Class and Eamon Tracey of Carlow competing in the Conventional Class. Both will take to the fields of France next September 5th and 6th in Bordeaux, once more representing their country with pride.