The countdown is well and truly on for the return to Ratheniska for the 2022 National Ploughing Championships.

Following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers at the National Ploughing Association (NPA), have said they are ahead of schedule in terms of site preparation.

Almost 40km of trackway has been laid at the Laois site, with over 300,000 people expected to pass through the gates over the three-day event from 20 to 22 September.

World Ploughing Contest

Over 350 competitors will take to the fields for this year’s event and Ireland will also host the 67th World Ploughing Contest, with competitors arriving from around the world including the US, Slovenia, New Zealand, Kenya and Kosovo.

Eamonn Tracey will represent Ireland in the conventional class and John Whelan will represent Ireland in the reversible class.

Northern Ireland will be represented by Andrew Gill in the conventional class, while David Wright will represent Northern Ireland in the reversible class.

Ireland will be hoping to capitalise at the world contest after Wexford’s Dan Donnelly and Seán Keating won gold at the European Ploughing Championships, which were held in Derry two weeks ago.

The big thing happening this year is the world contest, that’s massive for us

Anna Marie McHugh, assistant managing director at the NPA and general secretary of the World Ploughing Organisation, told the Irish Farmers Journal that the addition of the world contest will make this year’s event different to others.

Russia had been due to host the contest this year.

However, due its invasion of Ukraine, it was stripped of hosting the event.

“The big thing happening this year is the world contest, that’s massive for us. That’s not something we had actually planned to have this year. Four months ago, we weren’t having it and all of sudden now, it’s happening. We have 25 countries coming to plough this year,” she said.