Tag Archives: National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska

NOT content with finding Ireland’s Fittest Family, Davy Fitzgerald is now on the hunt for Ireland’s Fittest Farmer. The Clare hurling legend will be presiding over the competition which will be held at this year’s Irish National Ploughing Championships, at Ratheniska, County Laois, from September 20-22. The three-day event will see ploughmen and women from across Ireland compete to be named Ireland’s Fittest Farmer. The contest will be held as a fun way of sparking a vital discussion about the physical and mental health of the nation’s farmers, aiming to get all farmers thinking and talking about their health, physical and mental, to make sure they are in top condition to run their farm business. Davy, who has been busy filming the next season of Ireland’s Fittest Family as well as his own show, Davy’s Toughest Team, says he is “delighted to be attending the Ploughing Championships this year”. “I’m encouraging any competitive Irish farmers to come down to Zurich’s …

A GROUP of Clare landowners will fly the Banner flag at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska near Portlaoise this week, writes Dan Danaher. Clare ploughing competitors are revving up to return to national championship ploughing, as there has been no county matches since the end of 2019 due to Covid-19 restrictions. While Clare competitors haven’t enjoyed the same level of practice as other years, Clare Ploughing Association chairman, Pat Quinn, insists they will all do their best in their respective categories. “There is a great tradition of ploughing in Clare. Clare competitors punch above their weight in view of the fact there is no real tillage farming or stubble ground in the county. We hold our own in the All-Ireland ploughing championships. “A lot of the new tractors are so big their wheels aren’t suitable for ploughing. You need narrow wheels for ploughing. “It is becoming expensive for new young entrants to compete in ploughing championships, particularly if they …

Thousand of Clare people will be travelling a familiar road next September. While a trip to Croke Park is always a possibility, already pencilled in is the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, County Laois. Such has been the success of the event, the organisers announced on this Monday that it will return to the venue for a third time from September 22– 24 next year. Total attendance figures for the 2014 championship came to a record breaking 279,500. Speaking at a prize-giving ceremony in Portlaoise, NPA managing director, Anna May McHugh said, “Feedback from landowners, the local community and the wider public has been very positive and all were incredibly enthusiastic to see a return.”