Ploughing return to Ratheniska for 2024 confirmed

Europe’s largest outdoor event, the National Ploughing Championships, will return next year to the central and scenic location of Ratheniska, on September 17-19, for the third year in a row.

The well-liked site was confirmed as an excellent location for next year’s event at the National Ploughing Championships prize-giving ceremony, attended by more than 500 people in Portlaoise today.

NPA managing director Anna May McHugh said: “The NPA are delighted to be holding the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska again next year. Feedback from landowners, the community and the wider public has been very positive and all were enthusiastic to see a return to Laois.

“It worked well as a location this year despite the weather. The site has proved popular for several reasons including its location in the middle of Ireland.”

Anna May McHugh also congratulated the winners at today’s prize-giving banquet.

Irish Ploughing has never been so well represented on the global stage and is the envy of other nations thanks, in part, to the historic back to back wins of the Republic of Ireland team at the World Ploughing Contest in Latvia where Eamonn Tracey from Carlow and John Whelan from Wexford were crowned Supreme World Ploughing Champions in their classes.

In addition, there was a magnificent result at the European Ploughing Championships where Jer Coakley from Cork took first place gold and Dan Donnelly from Wexford the Reserve European Ploughing Champion position.