With just three weeks to go until Europe’s largest outdoor event kicks off
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon was the guest of honour at this afternoon’s National Ploughing Championships Media launch on the Screggan site in Tullamore. The launch featured prize-winning animals, tractors, sheep, ponies, brown bread bakers, musicians, crafters and a whole lot more, which gave guests and media a preview of the exciting attractions set to take place across the three-day event.
NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said, “Preparations are in full swing as this green field transforms into the bustling hub of the National Ploughing Championships. Just weeks ago, it was open countryside, now it’s set to welcome hundreds of thousands. The Ploughing showcases the very best of Ireland, uniting rural and urban communities for three days of country living, innovation, and enterprise. It’s always a race against the clock, but the result is a one-of-a-kind celebration.”
There will be millions of euros worth of agricultural and plant machinery on display, featuring an extensive range of cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment, and already there is huge interest in the prestigious ‘Machine of the Year’ competition.
The Livestock section will be a major highlight with over 100 entries in the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association All Ireland Finals, The Shorthorn Calf Competition and the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition as well as many other breeds on display and 12 sheep breeds in the Tunnell this year. Visitors will not only have the chance to admire the exceptional quality of animals on display but also to gain insights into livestock management, genetics, nutrition, and animal healthcare.
The entrepreneurial spirit is thriving at #Ploughing25, with a record number of diverse and exciting businesses set to exhibit at this year’s Local Enterprise Village. In addition, the Local Enterprise Offices have announced a partnership with Google, which will be on-site, helping SMEs upskill in digital tools and AI. The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena also makes a welcome return, showcasing groundbreaking technologies and cutting-edge ideas. Visitors can also enjoy the new Midlands Flavours, highlighting the very best local producers from Longford, Laois, Offaly, and Westmeath with cookery demonstrations every morning and afternoon.
A key attraction at this year’s National Ploughing Championships will be the National Brown Bread Baking Competition, with eight finalists competing live in Screggan for the coveted title of Ireland’s best brown bread baker.
The ‘Ploughing’ is a haven for foodies, as all sectors of the food chain are represented from producer to retailer, artisan foods, craft beers, celebrity chefs, cookery competitions and much more.
The ‘Dome’ & ‘Hub’ marquees are returning, creating the largest retail pop-up in the country.
Ireland’s competitors for the upcoming World Ploughing Contest, Jer Coakley, West Cork (Reversible class) and Martin Kehoe, Wexford (Conventional class), received a warm send-off today ahead of their departure to Prague, where the 70th World Ploughing will take place. They will join 49 competitors from 26 countries. Jer Coakley, the defending 2024 World Champion, while Martin Kehoe, 3 times World Champion has battled his way back onto the World Stage for the first time since 1999 (26 years ago).
The National Championships Ploughing Stakes has drawn a particularly strong programme this year, attracting entries from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland, with more than 350 competitors taking part.
All of the firm favourite attractions are set to return this year such as Fashion Shows, Meggers, Sheep Shearing, Hunter Trials, Fun Fair, Food Fayre, Craft Demonstrations, Pony Games, a great cultural programme of local musicians and dance troops, Threshing, Loy Digging, Baking Competitions with celebrities and well known faces everywhere Ploughing 2025 is not to be missed.