The first day of the Ploughing Championships took place today with the thousands of visitors to the Laois site greeted with muck and sunshine.
With 1,500 stands (100 more than last year) on offer visitors at the three-day event are expected to spend in the region of €35m.
While no official announcement has been made, it is believed that the 2016 site for the Ploughing Championships will be Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Crowds at the Ratheniska site were treated to mucky conditions on the first day, after a deluge of rain on Monday night turned much of the dry site into mini mud puddles. However, the rain held off.
The President Michael D Higgins said the Ploughing Championships is a reminder of how important the agricultural community is to Ireland. Officially opening the 2015 Ploughing Championships, he said that with some fine weather the numbers at this year’s event may even be higher than the record crowds of last year.
The President said it would not be possible to have sustainable communities in rural Ireland without a strong farming sector.
Highlights from the first day included the Liam McCarthy Cup in the Glanbia stand while some of the main stands which drew the crowds included the Lely automatic milking machine and the Aldi stand.
President Michael D Higgins who officially opened the Ploughing along with his wife Sabine.
Tomas Arthur and Mikey Arthur at the Zetor stand at the Ploughing
Kitty, Tom, Jack and Ned O’Meara from Tipperary enjoying the sunshine at the Ploughing in Laois.
The ‘Lads’ St Josephs in Rush Co.Dublin
Some 77,500 people attended the first day of the Ploughing, the official figures state. 
Larry Bergin, Castlecomer and Donna Coffey, Glanbia, at the Ploughing on Day One, holding the Bob O’Keeffe and Leinster Minor cups.
