Record crowds descend on Screggan for three days of Ploughing action
President Catherine Connolly cuts the tape to open Ploughing 2026 in Screggan, Tullamore. Photo: Alf Harvey
The National Ploughing Championships concluded in Co. Offaly on Thursday following three days, which saw 243,000 visitors pass through the gates of Screggan, Tullamore.
The 95th staging of the event ran from Tuesday, September 15 to Thursday, September 17, bringing together agricultural competitions, machinery, livestock, food, fashion, entertainment and exhibitors from across the country.
Some 77,000 people attended on the opening day before numbers climbed to 91,000 on Wednesday.
A further 75,000 arrived for the final day, bringing overall attendance to 243,000.
That marked an increase of 17,500 on the 225,000 visitors recorded at last year's event.
President Catherine Connolly officially opened the Championships on Tuesday, beginning a packed three-day programme celebrating Irish Farming, enterprise and rural life.
While the event has grown to include everything from fashion and food to shopping and live entertainment, competitive ploughing remained firmly at its heart.
Final-day action included the Senior Conventional and Kverneland Reversible Test Matches, along with horse ploughing, vintage classes and the Vintage Six Nations Competition.
There was success for Wexford's John Whelan, who won the Senior Reversible Test Match with a combined score of 509 points after two days of competition. Donegal's Matthew Simms took top honours in the Conventional Test Match with 520 points.
Their victories mean the pair are in line to represent Ireland at the 2027 World Ploughing Championships in Kenya.
Away from the fields, the National Brown Bread Baking Competition also reached its conclusion on Thursday. Dublin's Olivia Nash claimed the senior title, while 15-year-old Cara Wall, also from Dublin, emerged as the junior champion using her grandmother's recipe.
Visitors throughout the week were also treated to fashion shows, cooking and machinery demonstrations, livestock displays and live entertainment.
National Ploughing Association Managing Director Anna May McHugh said organisers were delighted with how the three days had gone, praising the atmosphere across the site and thanking those who attended.
Attention has already turned towards the next staging of the Championships.
As this year's event came to an end, organisers announced that the Ploughing will leave Screggan next year and move to Boherkill Farm, Rathangan, Co Kildare. The 2027 event is scheduled to run from September 21 to 23.
