Medal hunters and ploughing hopefuls

Amongst the ten-strong Cavan team of ploughmen and women heading to Tullamore for the National Championships some have travelled more in hope, some with genuine expectations. The dividing line between hope and expectation is whether they’re driving a tractor or wielding a loy.
“It’s hard to know,” says Patrick Donnellan, chairman of Cavan Ploughing Association, when asked of the tractor men’s chances of winning. “It’s all the luck of the draw on the day - you could get a good plot and go on well.
“Any man can come on well.”
There’s obvious disadvantages facing Cavan competitors - lack of opportunities to practice and less of a culture than their rivals further south.
“Up here we wouldn’t have the same amount of stubble ground to practice on, as the south men, or the men in the Midlands,” says Patrick.
The Bailieborough man has been ploughing so long he can’t begin to put a year on when he started. A friend encouraged him to give it a go, and a neighbour came good with the loan of a tractor and plough and he’s had “the bug” ever since.
How did you get on that first year in Cavan?
“Well I was flukey my first year out,” Patrick says modestly. “I got on well that year, and I went on to represent Cavan at All Ireland level.”
Patrick passed on the ploughing bug to his now brother-in-law Andrew Tully and the pair travelled down to Tullamore together to compete in this year’s event.
“We plough a lot of the county matches,” explains Andrew when asked about his and Patrick’s practice regime. “We always try to plough Louth, Monaghan, Meath, and we tried Dublin too. We also try to plough Leitrim and Longford.”
They were Offaly-bound on Friday afternoon so they could participate in a couple of practice matches on Saturday and Sunday.
“The weather is everything,” observes Patrick. “If it’s raining it just makes it that wee bit harder because the ground starts to get slippy and you’re under more pressure. Whereas if you had a day like today when it’s nice and sunny and dry, everything seems to run a bit smoother, so hopefully we get three good days below.

Happy enough
Most of the Cavan team will take to the Screggan fields on Thursday, but by the time you read this, Andrew will have already competed in his section - Junior 3 Furrow Conventional Plough - on Tuesday. Earlier this year he had come second in Louth and third in Monaghan, but speaking last Friday he was playing down his chances in the nationals?
“No we won’t take a prize at the ploughing,” he replied candidly. “If we got fourth or fifth in that three furrow we’d be happy enough - there’s over 20 in that three furrow class.”
Patrick is maybe a little more optimistic.
“Competition is stiff when you get to All Ireland level, but we hope to bring home something,” he says.
Regardless of how they do, they look forward to representing their county in Tullamore.
“It’s one of the biggest outdoor events in Europe,” enthuses Patrick. “All 32 counties of Ireland are represented, and there’s a couple of international competitors over as well, so it’s a serious level. It’s a great achievement to get to an All Ireland.”
The number of ploughers heading to Tullamore is up from seven in 2015 to 10 this year. However, the Cavan group still note how hard it is to attract new members into their fold.
Thomas Wedlock from Canningstown is the only fresh blood in quite a while, and he will compete in a brand new novice class.
“It’s an expensive hobby, to get a tractor and plough all geared up,” concedes Patrick. “But this novice class is coming on board now, so it might encourage some younger blood into the club - hopefully it will.”

Loy
Cavan’s loy-diggers are genuine contenders. In the men’s section PJ McStay came second in the senior men’s section last year while Thomas Tierney won the junior title two years ago and now competes in the seniors.
Meanwhile Kathleen O’Reilly is a three time All Ireland Champion in the ladies section, so what keeps her coming back for more?
“I enjoy it and I was born into a family of ploughing. I like the whole concept of it, and of course I’m highly competitive. I don’t know if it’s greed or need but I keep coming back for more.
“The standard is really high and the competition is really stiff - I’ve had more second and thirds in the All Irelands than wins, so you always go out and try to do your best. When you’re finished and look at it and go, 'God it’s going to be pretty close’ - you might be called in second or third, and that has happened to me more times, so you relish it if you win.”
It must be tough if you don’t win?
“It is, but what do you do? Get on with it, and think - I’m going to get it back next year.”
That must have been the thought Kathleen left Tullamore with last year after taking third place - so who would bet against her winning a fourth All Ireland for Cavan this week?
“We are going hunting medals,” says Kathleen. “A medal’s great but a win is better.”