Author: National Ploughing Association

Book Early To Avail Of Early Bird Rates!

The Trade Exhibition portal for exhibitors to book stand space opens today following much anticipation for all details please see www.npa.ie.

The largest outdoor event on the Irish Calendar is set for a fantastic comeback this year after a two-year absence returning to the familiar venue of Ratheniska, County Laois on September 20^th21^st & 22^nd. 

2019 saw the biggest event to date with an attendance of almost 300,000 and already there is an incredibly positive reaction from exhibitors, patrons and visitors alike for  #Ploughing2022 as companies are anxious to get back trading and people are keen to do business again.

Anna May McHugh NPA Managing Director said, “I’m delighted to be in a position today to announce that the Trade Exhibition Portal for this year’s National Ploughing Championships is now open following a large volume of enquiries and requests from all over the country and significant international interest.

NPA continue to make a determined effort to improve exhibitor and visitor experience alike, and this year will see the biggest area to date allocated to exhibition and demonstrations.  The NPA’s core mission is to create a pleasant, friendly and vibrant place for people, to meet and do business and this is always our priority.”

For information regarding this year’s National Ploughing Championships please see www.npa.ie or call 059 8625125, where our exhibition team will be on hand to assist as you prepare for this year’s event.  Follow the build-up and journey to #Ploughing2022

The National Ploughing Championships first established in 1931 celebrated its 90th anniversary in Ratheniska, Co Laois with the focus firmly back on the Association’s ploughing roots.
A true ‘Ploughing’ master class was on display with the finest ploughmen and women from all over the country battling it out on 150 acres in 22 separate classes over the 3 days as old friend’s reunited and new marvellous memories were made.

Martin Kehoe from Wexford became the National Senior Conventional Ploughing Champion and  Dan Donnelly from Wexford  won the Senior Reversible Contest.  Siobhan Dermody from Co Kilkenny was crowned the ‘Queen of the Plough’ following her win in the farmerette class.

Aisling O’Toole from Co Kildare was named the 2021 National Brown Bread Baker winning a prize fund of €15,000, her award winning loaf will be available to purchase in Aldi stores nationwide for the next year.

This year’s overall Innovation Arena Awards with Enterprise Ireland winner was marine biotech company Brandon Bioscience in Tralee, Co Kerry. In collaboration with the traditional fertiliser manufacturer Target Fertilisers, the company’s winning entry is an innovative new biostimulant product using extracts from common brown seaweed that has the potential to reduce chemical nitrogen input on farms by up to 20 per cent.

The best overall start-up award went to Jennifer and Kevin Corley, founders of EquiTrace which is an app that works with a horse’s microchip to identify, locate and track individual animals as they move while also recording animal temperature and health records when used with a Merck Bio-Thermo chip and scanner. Both the overall and best start-up Award winners will receive a prise fund of €5,000 each.

So as the final sod was turned in Ratheniska today signalling the end of the 2021 National Ploughing – thoughts are firmly on the 2022 event returning to Ratheniska from 20th – 22nd September.