IN PICTURES: Excitement builds ahead of National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore

With just three weeks to go until Europe’s largest outdoor event kicks off, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon was the guest of honour at this afternoon’s National Ploughing Championships Media launch on the Screggan site in Tullamore. The launch featured prize-winning animals, tractors, sheep, ponies, brown bread bakers, musicians, crafters and a whole lot more, which gave guests and media a preview of the exciting attractions set to take place across the three-day event.

NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said, “Preparations are in full swing as this green field transforms into the bustling hub of the National Ploughing Championships. Just weeks ago, it was open countryside, now it’s set to welcome hundreds of thousands. The Ploughing showcases the very best of Ireland, uniting rural and urban communities for three days of country living, innovation, and enterprise. It’s always a race against the clock, but the result is a one-of-a-kind celebration.”

CLICK ON THE ARROWS ABOVE TO READ ON AND TO SEE MORE PICTURES FROM MONDAY'S EVENT