Author: National Ploughing Association

On Wednesday 23rd September 2015, National Ploughing Association Managing Director Anna May McHugh will be named Officier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole by French Ambassador to Ireland Mr Jean-Pierre Thébault during a ceremony at the France Agriculture Pavilion on the 84th National Ploughing Championships.

For over 60 years, Mrs Ana May McHugh has contributed to the organisation of one of Europe’s largest agricultural fair. Each year, the National Ploughing Championship welcomes over 300,000 visitors making it Ireland’s largest agricultural market.

Her journey through the ploughing started in 1952 when she took a job as secretary to the founder of the National Ploughing Association, she was appointed Secretary in 1956 when the NPA became a limited company and elected Managing Director in 1973.

Anna May has been at the helm of the Ploughing Championships as it has evolved from a small ploughing match and agricultural trade exhibition to what is now widely recognised as the biggest agricultural event in Europe with 279,500 attendees in 2014, with over 1,500 trade exhibitors and 350 ploughing competitors this year.

Anna May is a Board Member of the World Ploughing Organisation, Chairperson of the Diocesan Finance Committee, and a Director of KFM Radio, she served on the board of Teagasc for 5 years, Laois Enterprise Board for 15 years and she is actively involved in a number of community organisations.

Some of the awards that Anna May has received include:

Laois Person of the Year, Millennium Laois Person of the Year, Rehab People of the Year Award – outstanding contribution to society 1998, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, Irish Tatler woman of the Year – Hall of Farm Category 2013, Irish Independent – Event Industry Award 2009, Lions Club – Melvin Jones Fellow 2013/14, FBD Women and Agriculture Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award, Veuve Cliquot Business woman of the Year Award, Irish Security Premier Award and Ireland’s Women Executives Award – WXN – Irish Times Trailblazers Award 2014 and Honorary Doctorate degrees from universities are among some of the awards Anna May McHugh has been presented with throughout the years.

The Order of Agricultural Merit is one of France’s highest and most ancient honours created in 1883 by then Minister of Agriculture Jules Méline. The Order rewards people who rendered exceptional services to agriculture whether in public duties or in the very practice of agriculture. It also rewards people who distinguished themselves in scientific research or in related publications

Due to popular demand, the Irish Vintage Scene All-Ireland Tractor-Building Challenge returns to this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois from the 22^nd to the 24^th of September.

This year three tractor-build teams will compete over the three days to put together a dissembled vintage Ferguson 20 tractor in the fastest time. The teams start with approximately 40 components and 120 nuts, bolts, springs and clips, and in less than 10 minutes the tractor will be complete and running. That’s right, 10 minutes! In fact, last year’s fastest time was 7 minutes, 18 seconds. If you have never heard of or seen this spectacle before, please follow the below link to see one of last year’s builds.

http://ferguson20build.com/?page_id=90

This year the three teams taking part will be the Donegal team on Tuesday the 22^nd, the Cavan ladies’ team on Wednesday the 24^th and the Cork team on Thursday the 24^th. Each day the teams will compete against the clock three times at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. This is a fantastic spectacle, and is ideal for unique media coverage. We would welcome anyone who wishes to use this in their coverage from the event.

To find out more, or to discuss any coverage options with us, please call 087 2999251 or call to our stand at the event on Row 41, Stand 765.

The Little Acorn Garden – Foroige Time Travel Garden with Diarmuid Gavin, sponsored by Aldi in association with the National Ploughing Association

Four Foroige Clubs from Clare, Cork, Galway and Laois are creating with the help of Diarmuid Gavin and his team, four gardens under the theme Time Travel, using plants and flowers from Aldi. Each of these gardens will be transported by Aldi back to their communities after the National Ploughing Championship to remain a testament to their hard work and creativity.

Scarriff Foroige Club has been chosen as one of the four clubs, this enterprising group supports young people from Tulla, Feakle, Tuamgraney, Bodyke, Scarriff and Mountshannon. Nine Foroige members with youth leaders, parents and local expert Martina O’Brien, will build the garden at the weekend.

Youth Leader Tracy Doyle and Scarriff Foroige are “thrilled” to be working on this special garden and to be finalists in the country. In May 2014 the youths aged between 12 and 17 were offered a small piece of publicly owned land, at The Connaught Road housing estate in Scarriff, by residents to plant and develop. A lot of hard work, thought and local integration has gone in to the development of this garden and where it fits in the community. It has brought confidence and fulfilment; there are apple trees and fruit bushes, which bring thoughts of jam and tart making. A lot of planning went into what was planted and its effect, herbs for ailments, food for cooking, based on the success of this project, there was a further meeting with the residents and another piece of land was secured in Fossabeg, for a children’s garden.

Following discussion with Martina O’Brien who runs a local florist and is an accomplished horticulturalist, it was decided to plant herbs, vegetables, and fruit and mindful of colours to attract bees and butterflies. Martina said “how excited everyone was to be working with Diarmuid Gavin and his team” The group have met him twice and he has allocated a wonderful mentor and project manager Janet Duff, who is a garden designer.

They have chosen the Tardis Time Machine from Doctor Who, the popular TV series. One side depicts the past and the other the future, using recycled material from local company, Clare Waste. The entire area has been very supportive of the group as they prepare to showcase their garden. There is a rich horticultural and preservation culture in East Clare and the group efforts have been supported locally by The Woodland League, Irish Seed Savers Association and local nurseries.

Local artists Ian Kelly and Natalie El Baba have made a beautiful seat and Lynda Christian donated a piece of sculpture for the futuristic side of the garden. The garden on the Connaught Road in Scarriff is called “The Garden around the corner” and the garden at the ploughing championships is “The Little Acorn” and this will also be the name for the children’s garden in Fossabeg using the material from the competition. One of the inspirations for the name “The Little Acorn” is the longest living oak tree in the country is in this region, in woodlands at Tuamgraney, well over 1,000 years old. The oak symbolises power and strength, great oaks stand at over 80 feet. Its powerful branches are home to a huge family of wildlife, particularly great baskets of insects–moths, flies, beetles, wasps and all sorts of creepy crawlies. It is also a favourite choice for many birds, and, of course, squirrels all find shelter and food in its web of foliage.More than any other, the oak has given its name to more place names than any other tree from city to town, village and townland–the name Derry deriving from Doire and “The Little Acorn” is a fitting name for this garden and it’s team.

Want a few hours to yourself at this year’s festival to catch up with friends for a cuppa? Want to see that demo that you’ve been waiting for? Or just to have a wander……Well why not book the kids into Fest’Kidz Kids Camp!! We are running 4 two hour sessions each day of the festival where the kids are guaranteed to have great fun! We will be mask making, doing arts and crafts, playing really silly games, doing a bit of disco and all sorts of other madness. Last Minute Minders is Ireland’s number one childcare agency and has run events all over the country. PLACES are LIMITED so book in advance and avail of our early bird discount! Sessions start at 9am and we finish up at 5.45pm. Call 061 293556 or email info@lastminuteminders.com and one of our team will look after you.