Author: National Ploughing Association

The Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government is happy to announce that, for the first time, it will have a corporate presence this week at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois.

In the Department’s tent will be officials from our Community Section and agencies who will be happy to answer questions about the Department’s LEADER, Tidy Towns, SICAP, CEDRA and Pobal programmes.

Met Eireann will also be present along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fire Safety, Myplan.ie, the Western Development Commission (WDC), Irish Water Safety (IWS), Rural Recreation as well as officials from the Department’s Environment Section.

Throughout the event, Ministers Alan Kelly, Paudie Coffey and Ann Phelan  will be in attendance at various times and will be making a series of announcements. The times of these announcements will be notified on our Twitter account, @EnvironPress.

The Department is very much looking forward to the Championships and the opportunity to showcase some of its work. We can be found at site 446, Row 26.

Biggest-ever Local Enterprise Village built for National Ploughing Championships 2015

From food manufacturers to beauty products, water testing kits to electric heaters; a record number of small businesses are temporarily re-locating to the ‘Local Enterprise Village’, at this week’s National Ploughing Championships.

The Local Enterprise Village, built by the network of Local Enterprise Offices, will be home to 83 small businesses, representing every county in Ireland, for the three days of the Championships.

All 31 Local Enterprise Offices, which are part of the Local Authority network, are supporting small businesses at the Ploughing, representing sectors such as food, retail, tourism, manufacturing, energy and sport.

Up to 200,000 visitors are expected to make the journey to the 800 acre site in Ratheniska in County Laois. In 2014, the National Ploughing Championships generated an estimated €39million in sales for Irish businesses.

Speaking ahead of the official opening of Local Enterprise Village, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D said: “Ireland’s agri-food sector is performing very strongly and as a result, small businesses are benefitting, with huge opportunities for growth and job creation. The National Ploughing Championships is an amazing event that provides a massive opportunity for businesses and State Agencies to reach potential clients and customers, and this initiative will help us take advantage of that. I’ve already met a number of the 83 companies that are be exhibiting at the Local Enterprise Village and I’m impressed by their ambition and drive to succeed. I would encourage anyone who has an interest in starting or growing their business to pop into the Local Enterprise Village to meet with the team and get information that may assist their business”.

The Chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, Kieran Comerford, said: “The Local Enterprise Village grows bigger every year and is home to more than 80 small Irish businesses. As well as giving the public the chance to meet the person behind the business, it also gives small business owners a real opportunity to boost sales and break into new markets.”

National Ploughing Association Managing Director, Anna May McHugh said: “There is no doubt that the entrepreneurial spark is alive and well in Ireland and it is a fantastic opportunity for these small businesses inside the Local Enterprise Village to showcase their products to the large number of visitors that Ploughing attracts. This is very positive for rural Ireland and the wider economy.”

The network of Local Enterprise Offices is also running a social media competition, inviting participants to post a ‘Tractor Selfie’, using #TractorLeo on Twitter. The prize package is made up of products, services and vouchers supplied by the companies within the Local Enterprise Village, to a total value of €3,500.

Organised by the National Ploughing Association, the 84^th National Ploughing Championships are taking place at Ratheniska, Stradbally in County Laois.

Doors to the Local Enterprise Village are open from Tuesday, September 22^nd to Thursday, September 24^th at Block 3, Row 25 at Stand number 430. Further details on the companies inside the Local Enterprise Village are available from www.localenterprise.ie

Welcome to Oriel Attachments Ploughing Stand 2015

Block 2, Row 1, Stand 4.

Oriel Attachments will have the company’s biggest ever stand at the show and will be displaying several products for the first time in Ireland, we will also have live demo’s for all to watch!

On display at Oriel Attachments demo stand at this year’s National Ploughing Championship show will be the Mobile Log Cutter & Splitter Attachment CFM550. This new attachment will transform your Forestry, Excavator, Tractor or Teleporter Machinery into a new business venture. The Mobile Wood Chopper Attachment can be rigged to your pre installed hydraulic system and is simple to connect.

“This piece of Simple Equipment will cut and split different types and sizes of wood.” commented, Tommy de Courcey of Oriel Attachments.

The Mobile Attachment CFM550 has been engineered to offer simple and clever wood cutting production; it can cut and spit 5m roundwood in less than 2 minutes. This design ensures maximum durability and productivity for the end user.

Oriel Attachments also manufactures the ONLY triple lock quick hitch available: The Oriel Triple Lock Hitch improves reliability, safety & performance by the ease of which it can pick up and release attachments without leaving the comfort of the excavator cab. The operator can also use the quick hitch to pick up attachments in reverse configuration. Its design gives the machine operator clear visibility and reassurance when attachments are in a locked position. Oriel Attachments have manufactured their Quick Hitches to all relevant standards with high strength steels for superior quality & performance.It has been designed to exceed FEA stress analysis for excavators in size classes from 5 to 80 tonnes.

While at the Ploughing come and see what Oriel Attachments can bring to your business to facilitate growth, better productivity and profitably with smart machinery and expert help.To make it easier The Farmers Journal has a clever Phone APP to help you save our stand details and location Block 2, Row 1, Stand 4.

Visit www.orielattachments.come or call 041-6856924 and you can add Oriel Attachments to your social media channel;Facbook,Twitter and Youtube where you can keep up to date with the News from Oriel.

Information

The Garda Community Relations Bureau will be hosting a Garda Stand at this year’s National Ploughing Championships at Ratheniska, Co Laois from September 22nd – 24th 2015. This year children (aged 4-12 years) are being given the chance to win Garda activity packs for themselves and their friends. All they have to do is to come visit us at the Garda Stand (Block 1, Row 23, Stand 394) and enter our colouring competition. 3 winners will be announced each day. For further information please see terms & conditions below.

Terms & Conditions:

HOW TO ENTER

1. The competition commences on Tuesday 22 September 2015, and concludes on Thursday 24th September 2015 at the National Ploughing Championships 2015.

2. To enter, entrants must be aged 4-12 years.

3. Entrants in the competition can only enter once.

4. Entries must be handed to the Garda on duty at the stand.

5. Winners will be notified by phone.

PRIZE

6. A total of three (3) winners will be selected each day.

7. Winners will be presented with their prizes at the Garda stand.

8. Winners must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

9. The local Community Garda will visit the school of the 1st prize winner and present an Activity Pack to each of the winners classmates. Further details will be provided when winners are notified.

10. The prize is not exchangeable.

11. Judges decision is final.

PRIVACY CONSENT

12. By entering this competition the entrant’s parent or guardian gives consent for the winner’s name, age and photos to be published on Garda Síochána social media, website and publications.

DATA PROTECTION

13. All information gathered will be used for the sole purpose of the competition. All information will be properly disposed of in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998/2003.