Another Action-Packed Day as 91,000 Attend Day 2 of the 95th National Ploughing Championships

Day Two of the 95th National Ploughing Championships saw another huge crowd descend on Screggan, with visitors enjoying a packed programme of ploughing, livestock, food, fashion and entertainment as attendance reached 91,000.

The ploughing fields were once again at the heart of the action, with Senior Conventional and Senior Reversible classes getting underway alongside the Farmerette Conventional Plough Class, horse and vintage classes. The Five Nations Competition also concluded today.

The Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition was another highlight of Day Two. The competition challenges second-level students to rear five Irish Angus calves over 18 months while completing a research project.

Five finalist school groups each received five calves at the National Ploughing Championships to bring home and rear. Students benefit from the proceeds when the animals are sold, while the overall winners receive a bursary towards further education.

The National Brown Bread Baking Competition, sponsored by Euronics in association with the ICA and NPA, also continued today, with two more Junior semi-finalists securing their places in tomorrow’s final. Cara Wall, aged 15, and Aoife Ruddock, aged 15, will join 12-year-old Callum McKeague and 15-year-old Lucy Tate in the Junior final.

In the Senior competition, Olivia Nash and Saragh Davitt also progressed to tomorrow’s final, joined by Tuesday’s finalists Therese Lonergan and Ann Loftus.

Fashion was another major attraction throughout the day, with shows from the Celia Holman Lee Model Agency, while the Most Appropriately Dressed Lady & Gentleman competition drew plenty of attention at the Fashion Show Marquee.

Catia Bandeiras from Lisbon and living in Dublin was named Most Appropriately Dressed Lady, winning an overnight spa escape for two sponsored by voco The Club, while Ronan Kelly from Roscommon was named Most Appropriately Dressed Gentleman, receiving a €500 Shaws voucher sponsored by Shaws.

Visitors were also treated to cookery demonstrations, Tug of War, welly throwing, live entertainment and a wide range of displays and activities across the site.

Speaking on Day Two, NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said:

“We are delighted with another fantastic day here in Screggan. There has been a great atmosphere right across the site, with visitors enjoying everything from the ploughing and livestock competitions to the food, fashion and entertainment. It is wonderful to see such a wide mix of people enjoying the Championships and we are looking forward to another great day tomorrow.”