Ploughing Championships to return to Midlands in 2023

Europe’s largest outdoor event, “The National Ploughing Championships” is set to return to Ratheniska, Co Laois in 2023, following the success of this year's event.

Next year's event will take place from from September 19 to 21, after the total attendance figures for the 2022 ‘Ploughing’ were made public. An amazing 277,000 visitors descended on Ratheniska in Laois and over 1,700 exhibitors took part.

The widely popular site was confirmed as the ideal location for next year’s event at the National Ploughing Championships prize-giving ceremony attended by over 500 in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise. Speaking after the announcement the NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said “We are delighted to be staging the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois again next year. Feedback from landowners, the local community and the wider public has been very positive and all were very enthusiastic to see a return.”

“Speaking also with many of the exhibitors and visitors over the 3 days throughout the event, all were very vocal about their wishes to have it staged again in Ratheniska given how well it worked as a location this year. The site has proved popular for several reasons including its central location and surrounding road and rail network. By and large most people travelled to the site with ease and the minimum of traffic delays. This has certainly helped the event in being such a success this year and we look forward to 2023.”

Anna May McHugh also congratulated all of the winners who were awarded at today’s prize-giving ceremony. Supreme World Ploughing Conventional Champion Eamonn Tracey from Carlow will again represent Ireland in next year’s World Ploughing Contest in Latvia. And Supreme World Ploughing Champion John Whelan from Wexford will take part in the Reversible Class.