Farmer Fail
Taoiseach and other politicians head for the fields as
POLITICIANS swapped the murky corridors of the Dail for the muddy fields of Ratheniska at the second day of the National Ploughing Championships.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald and Housing Minister Darragh O’brien were among the political heavyweights who mingled with more than 100,000 punters yesterday.
Both the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders discussed everything from issues affecting farmers, the Ukraine war, the cost of living crisis, and the shocking car ramming of a
Garda car in Cherry
Orchard on Monday. Mr Martin told reporters: “I’m delighted to be here, it’s a wonderful feeling to be back.
“This ploughing championship in many ways has come to personify the modern agriculture and food production systems in Ireland.”
The Fianna Fail boss also said the event, which is in its 91st year, is a “wonderful opportunity” for people to see at “first hand new technologies and new approaches to farming, agriculture and food production”.
He added: “It’s a one-stop shop for three days and more in terms of everything to do with enterprise, with food production, with agriculture and farming and indeed climate as well and of course the ploughing championships as well.”
The National Ploughing Championships is being held alongside the World Championships which were originally meant to take place in Russia – but were cancelled after Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar also said he was delighted to be back and said it was a great place to meet farmers and discuss issues that are impacting them.
The Fine Gael leader, who will become Taoiseach again this year, explained: “It’s been a long three years but it’s a great event… there’s a very good buzz around the place. Really good chance to chat to farmers, talk to people in agri-food industry about what their priorities are, and certainly my priority on their behalf in the run-up to the Budget is that farmers are included in any scheme that the Government introduces in relation to energy costs.
“We’re working up a package to intervene and help families with the rising cost of energy.
“The package that we are putting together to help businesses with the raising costs of energy will apply to farmers as well because farmers are businesses too and we need to make sure that they are included.”
But Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald hit back and said those
It has in many ways come to personify modern agriculture in Ireland
MICHEAL MARTIN
YESTERDAY
living in rural Ireland are feeling the pinch.
She added: “It’s been a very interesting day for us, we’ve met a lot of people. We’ve gotten a sense of the anxieties across rural communities… and also a real sense of optimism and an aptitude for change for sure.
“It’s just great that people are back… the cost of living crisis has bitten very hard in rural Ireland, there is no doubt people are bracing themselves for a very very difficult autumn and winter.”
And managing director of the National Ploughing Association Anna May Mchugh declared she was just happy to see punters stream through the gates again for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, the queen of ploughing said: “It’s wonderful to be back of course. Everybody seems to be happy especially after missing the event for three years.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to see people and to see all the machinery.
“We’re delighted to be back, the ploughing people are really delighted and the ground conditions for ploughing are excellent.
“People are travelling here from as far away Canada and New Zealand and that’s a wonderful injection to our own ploughmen from all the counties in Ireland because they’ll get to see how the lads from fair afield are ploughing.
“We are delighted to see so many coming and being happy, we’re getting great support from our patrons. It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s been so quiet over the last three years.”
Punters travelled from all over to the second day of the festival.
A group from Austria said: “It’s much bigger than we expected, it’s our first time. We came to support two of our pals who are competing in the World Ploughing Championships.
“We already want to come back next year.”
While Donegal man Jim Hetherington, who was at the ploughing championship for the first time, headed straight for the ice cream as soon as he arrived.
He said: “I felt like I was missing out on all the fun,
I’d never been before but my friends had been so I decided I’d travel on down this year.
“I’ve got myself an ice cream and everything is good so far. I’m looking forward to today, it’s going to be great.”