2017 National Ploughing Championships

[llamedos]

Livestream available here

 

[llamedos]

President Michael D. Higgins told crowds at the National Ploughing championships' opening ceremony that farming must be protected.

 

[JohnGalway]

I was there yesterday. Visited the Department of Agriculture stand, they were quite friendly & helpful. It's a seriously useful exercise for farmers, they seem to keep the friendly staff for those three days! Posted same on social media and received a call asking had I taken ill. Had the craic with the head guy there, he recognised me from when we turned up at his place of work with a bus load of angry farmers for a protest (Got a result too).

Michael D has some neck to talk of rural depopulation & decline. During the 1990's he was the minister who brought in designations on most of the uplands, boglands etc. These designations led to restrictions which have now been made law and contain such lovely things as requiring planning permission to erect a single post asking people to keep their dog on a lead.

Heap of people on site yesterday. I arrived too early and had to wait for them to open at 8am. By 10.30 I was getting walked on. Left at 1.30 to avoid any traffic issues. Saw photos and video of it today, place is flooded. Always aim to be there early on the first day and never if it's wet.

They should scrap the sheep tunnel or do it properly. The tunnel is to narrow, low, cramped, and hot. It needs to be better than twice the size in all dimensions. Highlight were the Valaise Black Nosed sheep.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just read that tragic news of that young farmers death over there, totally shocked , lost for words