Countdown to Ploughing ramps up

By Rebekah O'Reilly

With just over three weeks to go, the countdown is well and truly on and the fields of Screggan, Tullamore, are being transformed ahead of the 95th National Ploughing Championships.

With the huge national event taking place from September 15–17, a media launch was held yeterday (Thursday) to give a flavour of what's in store.

The launch event brought together machinery, livestock, food and entertainment as preparations continue for three days that will see Screggan become the centre of Irish agriculture, rural life, enterprise and innovation.

Anna May McHugh, managing director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) said: "There is a great excitement around the site now as everything begins to take shape.

"Reaching our 95th Championships is a very special milestone and we are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Screggan. There is an enormous amount of work happening behind the scenes and it is fantastic to see it all starting to come together.

"It has been a tough year for many farmers, with difficult weather and the pressures of prices and rising costs," she added.

"Hopefully the Ploughing gives people a chance to take a day away from it all, enjoy themselves with family and friends, catch up with old faces and maybe meet a few new ones along the way.

"The Ploughing has always been about bringing people together and celebrating the very best of ploughing, Irish agriculture, enterprise and rural life and we are looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic three days this September."

At the heart of it all is the ploughing itself, with more than 350 competitors and 34 unique classes taking place across the championships.

Adding an international dimension, the Five Nations Ploughing Competition will also take place over two days, adding to what promises to be a fantastic programme of competitive ploughing.

Machinery is set for a particularly strong showing, with an increase in machinery exhibitors and a number of new companies attending for 2026, joining many of the familiar names that visitors return to see each year.

Prestigious livestock competitions, artisan food, fashion and much more will also form part of the three-day celebration and our build-up will continue with more coverage in next week's Offaly Independent.

Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Declan Harvey, said the return of the National Ploughing Championships to Offaly for a second year would provide a significant boost to the local economy.

“It’s great to have them going back here for the second year,” he said. “The site alone is huge in size and it’s an ideal site for transport. People can get here from all over the country. The road network and everything leads to this part of the country, being in the centre of Ireland.”

He said the scale of the event made it particularly important for businesses in Tullamore and across the county.

“It’s huge for the economy. I don’t know exactly how much financially it brings in, but when you see the size and scale of the event, it has to bring a significant amount of money into the area.”

Cllr Harvey said the event was also an important showcase for the county’s farming community and its hospitality sector.

“Whatever you want, you can get here. The hospitality, the people who come to distribute, the people selling their machinery, the animals - it’s all huge. It’s really, really great for the county and the town of Tullamore.”

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke described the championships as a hugely significant event for Offaly and the wider Midlands.

“When you look at it from an Irish context, and even a European context, it’s the largest outdoor event and really the spine of the Irish agri-economy,” he said.

He highlighted the breadth of the event, with hundreds of competitors and a huge number of exhibitors, families, customers and international buyers attending.

“It’s a very significant international event with so much agri-innovation,” he said, pointing to the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Hub, which is in its 13th year and will feature around 40 exhibitors focusing on issues including sustainability, climate and artificial intelligence.

Minister Burke said the championships also offered an opportunity for people from across society to meet and engage with political representatives.

“It gives the cross-section of society a chance to interact, meet so many political figures and try and frame what way the nation is and what the heartbeat is at that particular time.”

He said the economic impact on the local area would be considerable, particularly with around 250,000 people expected to visit the site over the course of the event.

“When you have 250,000 people coming to Screggan and leaving it as well, a lot of people just stop on the way home. That provides a huge boost to the local economy.”

Acknowledging that the event could cause some disruption to local traffic and daily journeys, Minister Burke said the benefits outweighed the inconvenience.

“The benefit is pretty significant,” he said.

Tickets for the ploughing are available at www.npa.ie, with a special media launch ticket promotion running until 1pm tomorrow (Saturday).