The wait is over . . . The ploughing championships are underway!

THOUSANDS of people have arrived in Screggan, Tullamore for the national Ploughing Championships which got underway this morning.

The eagerly anticipated three-day event got off to a bright start and hopes are high that the sunshine will continue to beam throughout the championships.

Organisers say there is something for everyone, with more than 1,500 exhibition stands featuring an array of products. Exhibitors have travelled from as far afield as Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Germany, Canada, Belgium and the UK.

The Ploughing Association Managing Director Anna May McHugh says the championships brings together “people from all sectors of Irish society both rural and urban, to enjoy three days immersed in country living”.