Delaney family to host Longford's 89th Ploughing Championship

Plans are well advanced for the 89th County Longford Ploughing Championships with an abundance of attractions for ploughing enthusiasts and families seeking a fun-filled day out.

Michael Delaney will host the flagship event on his farm in Drinan, Ballymahon on Sunday, March 23.

The main sponsor for this year's ploughing championships is P&J Finnegan Car Sales.

The Finnegan family has a big connection to Longford ploughing through their late dad Paddy, a dedicated ploughman who took part in many ploughing matches including the National Ploughing Championships.

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Longford ploughing enthusiasts will gather for the qualification event that will allow them to represent County Longford in the 93rd National Ploughing Championship in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly from September 16 to 18.

Leading ploughmen from Longford and surrounding counties will converge on Drinan to show off their skills at turning the perfect sod.

There are a range of classes in which the competitors will face off against each other including Farmerette, Vintage Ploughing and Macra Class and U21 Class.

Among the many attractions expected to bring a large attendance into the area Senior Tractor Class, the popular Horse Ploughing Class, loy digging and an impressive turnout of vintage tractors will join the local ploughing heroes.

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Other features of the day are the Friends of the Ferguson Exhibition and, of course, Queen of the Plough.

The very first County Longford Ploughing match was hosted by John Roche, Ballymahon on Tuesday, March 12, 1933.

What started as a simple horse ploughing competition has now grown into an exciting festival of cultivation, music and family entertainment.

Ploughing chairperson Barry White has confirmed the lively band “4Degrees West”, will play in Drinan all afternoon and many local musicians will also get a chance to perform.

There will also be dance lessons and jive competitions with A&C Country Jive, celebrity ploughing, Grassmen and the Tyre Warrior.

Michael Delaney and his family, who are hosting the event on his beef farm said they are looking forward to it.

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"Yes, we are, we haven't hosted it here on our farm before, it's been hosted by a couple of our neighbours, two different Mulvihill families over the years and the McCanns have hosted there years ago," he added.

Michael said he has no tangible connection to the ploughing, but he decided to get involved in hosting it when he was approached by Barry White and Anthony Reynolds.

"We were asked by Barry and Anthony, who does our silage and we said why not and the lads look like they have a very good event organised and it's all down to the weather, if we get good weather on the day we will have a great event so here's hoping."

"They asked me and it suited here at the moment so I was happy to oblige.

"I don't have any prior connection to it but I was at one or two meetings recently as a host and I can appreciate the work that goes into pulling off such an event," he added.

Michael said the land is in good condition and he believes it will hold up well.

"I am just sitting on the edge of the farm here and it looks to be drying up very well, if it continues in this vein they'll get a great day.

"We have a big farm here but we have been reseeding for the past number of years and Anthony has been sowing barley on it so that's why it's suitable for the ploughing at the moment because we're on a reseeding programme.

"It's a beef farm, it always has been and we are in our fifth generation or something like that as beef farmers in Drinan," he added.

Michael, who is married to Claire, has a two and a half year-old daughter who has taken an early interest and a five month-old baby boy.

"They'll both be out here on the day and my daughter is always very interested in being out on the farm and she likes going around with her dad and looking at cattle," he added.

Michael stated his involvement in terms of the running of the day is very little but he has a greater appreciation of what is involved running an event on this scale.

"I am just providing the site and then the lads do the organising and I just attend some of the meetings just to be up to speed about what's going on but I do know to run something of that size, it just doesn't happen and you have to put the work in," he said. "If we get the weather, maybe we could have a couple of thousand people here."

Michael has attended a number of Longford Ploughing Championships over the years, which he enjoyed and he has travelled to the National Ploughing Championship on several occasions.

"I would have been to one or two ploughing events in the county, I'd go every couple of years down to the National Ploughing Championship because you always see what kind of advancements are being made in agriculture and technology in the sector so it's always a good day out," he added.

Michael's grandfather James Delaney was the first chairman of Ballymahon Mart and the family are steeped in agriculture.

"My family would have always been involved heavily in the mart, my dad Jimmy was director and my uncle Michael was chairman as well and we are still shareholders so that is where my family would have been heavily involved in the agri-sector more so than the ploughing.

Michael said beef and dairy farming is in a reasonably good place currently.

"Everything is a bit volatile with the way the world is at the moment

"But beef farming is having a good time of it at the moment, beef prices are being very strong which is kind of unusual.

"In my memory the last 30 years or so I can never remember it being quite as good as this and the dairying looks pretty steady as well.

"So, farming is quite steady at the moment but there are always challenges, you are in a global commodities market so things can change very quickly but yeah I'd be positive enough about the outlook at the moment for the sector," he concluded.

Plans are well advanced for the ploughing exhibition and anyone wishing to book a trade stand can contact any committee member or send a message via facebook/longford ploughing.

With level free draining soil, the Delaney family farm is excellent for competition ploughing and is sure to attract competitors and spectators from many other counties.