A total of 73,000 people attended Day Three of the National Ploughing Championships, taking the total figure for the three days up to 279,000.
This is approximately 50,000 up on last year. Speaking at the end of what many are describing as the Best Ploughing Championships ever, Anna May McHugh, Managing Director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) said: “We have had a fantastic three days. The weather was perfect and the site was as good as it possibly could have been.
“The Championships represent a flagship event for Irish agriculture. But it is only made possible because of the support that we get from so many organisations. And, in this context, I would like to particularly highlight the work of An Garda Síochána, the local council and, of course, the Carter family, on whose land this year’s event has been held.
“Laois Council is deserving of special mention as its staff committed to undertaking a significant amount of road improvement work in the run up to this year’s event. As a result, entry to the site from all directions was excellent.”
This is the second successive year that the Ploughing Championships have been held in Ratheniska. And the big question on everyone’s lips as Day Three came to an end was ‘Will 2015 see the Championships coming to the Co Laois venue for the third year in a row?’
She said that, in a perfect world, we would love to come back here again. “Laois is my home county and we have enjoyed two wonderful Championships at this unique venue. Discussions are currently underway regarding our plans for 2015. I can confirm that our Prize Dinner and Awards’ ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 12. And it is our intention to officially announce the venue for next year’s National Ploughing Championships at that stage.”
