Family matter at the National Ploughing Championship

This year's National Ploughing Championship (NPA) in Tullamore is very special to national chairman John Deery. For the man from Iniskeen Co. Monaghan who has been attending the agricultural competition since 1970 it's always great excitement, but “even more so now that the family is involved”. Both his children are routineers of the ploughing, but grandson Lorcan is taking part for the first time in the Novice category at age 16. A special moment for the chairman.

The 95th National Ploughing Championships will once again take place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, from September 15 to 17 with around 360 competitors, including international entries across five nations taking part in conventional, reversible, and vintage ploughing.

More than 275,000 visitors can visit the hundreds of trade exhibitors, livestock displays, machinery demonstrations, and the National Brown Bread Baking Competition. This year's Ploughing features a larger showcase for enterprise and start-ups, including a new junior section. Eight competitors from Monaghan and twelve from Cavan are making the journey to Offaly.

What makes the Ploughing so precious to John Deery is “meeting all the people you haven't seen in twelve months, catching up with everyone”. The Ploughing is as much a family event as a competitive sporting event, explains Jim Vogan, NPA Director from Cavan: “Other people have football matches, we have eight to ten ploughing matches a year.”

Competing in the neighbouring counties on different types of soil is the perfect preparation for Tullamore ground. “Regardless of the weather, the show goes on.” Jim himself is competing in the Junior category, others are in the three-furrow class, trailer class, farmerette class, single furrow class, classic class, novice class or even the traditional Loy digging class and two furrow vintage diesel class. A machine and skill for everyone.

Paidi Deery says “you have to be on your game straight away”. Straight being the key. His father John knows the judges will look at “nice uniform and neat marking”. Whatever about modifying the plough, John believes the driving skill is the most important: “You have to be fit to drive straight.” He must have taught his children well: Daughter Joanne is an elite competitor with six All Ireland titles to her name, son Paidi has won U21 and U28 titles as well. In the past few weeks he has been practicing after work “trying out different things in different conditions”.

With weather having been very different in the past months - from bone dry to flashfloodings and scatters - it is hard to predict what tactic will help competitors stand out. NPA Chairman John Deery offers one prediction though: “Whatever the weather, there always comes champions out of it.”