They came early, and they were rewarded: the 100,000 visitors reported by the National Ploughing Association on the first day of the 85th National Ploughing Championships enjoyed a day of fine weather, easy-going atmosphere and heart-warming comments by President Michael D Higgins.

President Higgins drew applause when he mentioned the tillage farmers in the north and west who wouldn’t make it to the Ploughing this year because they were trying to salvage what was left of crops drowned in weeks of rain.

See our picture gallery above for some of the best shots from ou photography team.

“We must as a society, ensure that our farming men and women are enabled to continue to carry out what is one of the most ancient, one of the most important and beautiful human activities on earth,” he added. And while he acknowledged that farming sustainably and profitably was a tall order, he insisted that “preventing further climate change and protecting our natural advantages for future generations” was the only way forward for Irish farming.

As the event’s new site in Screggan near Tullamore, Co Offaly, filled up, the sun gently warmed crowds visibly enjoying a relaxed day, with plenty of space to accommodate the largest attendance ever recorded on the first day of a Ploughing match.

Music was everywhere, as was directly useful information for any farmer willing to listen to the many technical demonstrations. School tours thronged the walkways and the competition started in earnest in the ploughing fields.

Aside from the less favourable forecast for the next two days, the main clouds on the horizon came from Brexit, with all politicians visiting on the first day stressing the massive uncertainty coming from our nearest neighbour and main export market breaking away from the European Union.

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