Farmers who flocked to the National Ploughing Championships 2024 were with met exceptional weather at the site in Ratheniska, Co Laois, for the first installment of the three-day staple of the farming calendar.
The sun was shining and temperatures reached highs of 21C.
Some of the farmers attending spoke to the Irish Farmers Journal on the highlights of the day for them.
Liam Brazil, Co Waterford – sheep farmer
Sheep farmer Liam Brazil from Waterford was keen to see the exhibits at Ploughing 2024.
“I am not in the tractor today, no. The one good day we got we said we’d head off for the day. The weather is lovely, the best ever. I have been coming here for 20 years and it is the best day we ever had here.
“I love to see all the machinery, all of the tents. For the past five years, we were running around with wellingtons and oil-skin coats, but today we are going around in our shirt sleeves. It’s fantastic.
“It makes it handy for everything because the tracks are lovely for walking, the fields for the parking are perfect.”
Adrian Ward, south Roscommon
Farmer Adrian Ward from south Roscommon was among those attending Ploughing 2024.
“It’s a lovely day out and the weather is really suitable for the occasion today. I come every year and at the back end of the year, it’s somewhere to wind down after a busy year.
“It is really a shop window to have a look at the machinery on offer and livestock has gone down really, but it’s grand to get good weather just to go around and have a peep.
“The last two fine days I caught up on the last bit of silage I had to get done and [the Ploughing] suits me this time because all is done.
“Every good day we get is shortening the winter for us and it is a bonus to get a good back end because the last few years we struggled, especially last year.
“From July right through we struggled, so it is great to get a positive end to 2024."
Colin Draper, Co Cork – contract heifer rearing
Contract heifer rearer Colin Draper from Co Cork welcomed the good weather coinciding with the start of Ploughing 2024.
“The weather is beautiful and the crowds are good. It really is the weather that makes the whole thing. I wasn’t here last year because of the wet weather, so it is nice to get back here this year.
“I think farmers are afraid they’ll miss something if they don’t come and that is why they keep coming back. It’s a nice social event too and it’s good to meet people.
“I contract rear heifers for two farmers. The improvement in weather was needed badly because we had a poor grass growing year.
“It hadn’t been a wet summer, but the temperatures were down and this is definitely needed for the tillage guys to get crops in, get straw and to extend the grazing season.”
Pat Curran, Co Kerry - retired-farmer turned beekeeper
Reitred farmer and beekeeper Pat Curran from Co Kerry attended day one of Ploughing 2024 with his wife Mary.
“The Federation of Irish Beekeepers have a stand and I have to go there, I have to see and keep up to date with what is happening. I am retired from farming, so now bees and beekeeping is my interest.
“Kerry is good for bees because there is very little tillage and intensive farming. It is small fields and hedgerows that suits them in Kerry.”
Farmers who flocked to the National Ploughing Championships 2024 were with met exceptional weather at the site in Ratheniska, Co Laois, for the first installment of the three-day staple of the farming calendar.
The sun was shining and temperatures reached highs of 21C.
Some of the farmers attending spoke to the Irish Farmers Journal on the highlights of the day for them.
Liam Brazil, Co Waterford – sheep farmer
Sheep farmer Liam Brazil from Waterford was keen to see the exhibits at Ploughing 2024.
“I am not in the tractor today, no. The one good day we got we said we’d head off for the day. The weather is lovely, the best ever. I have been coming here for 20 years and it is the best day we ever had here.
“I love to see all the machinery, all of the tents. For the past five years, we were running around with wellingtons and oil-skin coats, but today we are going around in our shirt sleeves. It’s fantastic.
“It makes it handy for everything because the tracks are lovely for walking, the fields for the parking are perfect.”
Adrian Ward, south Roscommon
Farmer Adrian Ward from south Roscommon was among those attending Ploughing 2024.
“It’s a lovely day out and the weather is really suitable for the occasion today. I come every year and at the back end of the year, it’s somewhere to wind down after a busy year.
“It is really a shop window to have a look at the machinery on offer and livestock has gone down really, but it’s grand to get good weather just to go around and have a peep.
“The last two fine days I caught up on the last bit of silage I had to get done and [the Ploughing] suits me this time because all is done.
“Every good day we get is shortening the winter for us and it is a bonus to get a good back end because the last few years we struggled, especially last year.
“From July right through we struggled, so it is great to get a positive end to 2024."
Colin Draper, Co Cork – contract heifer rearing
Contract heifer rearer Colin Draper from Co Cork welcomed the good weather coinciding with the start of Ploughing 2024.
“The weather is beautiful and the crowds are good. It really is the weather that makes the whole thing. I wasn’t here last year because of the wet weather, so it is nice to get back here this year.
“I think farmers are afraid they’ll miss something if they don’t come and that is why they keep coming back. It’s a nice social event too and it’s good to meet people.
“I contract rear heifers for two farmers. The improvement in weather was needed badly because we had a poor grass growing year.
“It hadn’t been a wet summer, but the temperatures were down and this is definitely needed for the tillage guys to get crops in, get straw and to extend the grazing season.”
Pat Curran, Co Kerry - retired-farmer turned beekeeper
Reitred farmer and beekeeper Pat Curran from Co Kerry attended day one of Ploughing 2024 with his wife Mary.
“The Federation of Irish Beekeepers have a stand and I have to go there, I have to see and keep up to date with what is happening. I am retired from farming, so now bees and beekeeping is my interest.
“Kerry is good for bees because there is very little tillage and intensive farming. It is small fields and hedgerows that suits them in Kerry.”
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: