Ploughing 2022

Went yesterday and brought one of the kids for their first time. Junction 17 was a mess with big signs to say take it and then a big queue for it along the hard shoulder of the motorway and when we got there 2 guards waving lads on down the road - no sign then at junction 16 even if it was the obvious one to take next! Left early so no issue coming home with traffic.

Enjoyed some bits of it. I'm looking into getting a few bits for the farm and alternative fertilizing options so there was a good selection there and had a few good chats. The livestock area was very disappointing with so few breeds - really disappointing. The likes of McHale and major still had a big presence but a lot others missing. The top half of the show was just a disaster from a crowds point of view. Regular bottlenecks and the queues for the likes of O'Neills, Aldi, RTE, McKeevers etc were ridiculous. It's definitely losing it's 'soul' - and probably had a long time ago. Might go once or twice more to give the younger kids who haven't been one visit each but will be Tullamore from now on. It's a real pity as I used to love it but came away yesterday afternoon really disappointed with the direction it's taken. Lack of toilets in the busy areas was a serious let down as well - some people queueing 30 mins and more - although there were more then at the back of the O'Neills tent and no queues.

Don't want to come across as "old man yells at crowd" but have to agree with this. This year was my first ploughing in roughly 10 years, and I thought that there was definitely a noticeable change in demographics - to the detriment of the event I would say. Too many secondary school students, and more worryingly, stands aimed at them. I know they add something (carnival atmosphere?) to the event, but too many cooks spoil the broth and all that. Maybe the event would be better served by having one day dedicated to secondary school tours, and the remaining days for the regulars.

Also agree with the general sentiment on here that the show was poor enough quality overall. Especially for what once-was/should be the target audience - farmers. And I think that's the issue. In trying to be all things to all people, the ploughing has gone from a farmer-oriented event, to a celebration of rural life, to what it is now - a commercial sell-out. Less cattle, less machinery, and more commercial stalls from behemoths like Aldi, RTE, and political parties. Which can all be visited for the princely sum of €25. It will be another 10 years before I'm there I think.

I went yesterday as I had 3 items I wanted to see with the intention of buying.

Got there at 11, what would normally be an hours drive from here took about an hour and 10 minutes, the same on the way home after leaving it at 6.30pm. Definitely could have no complaints about the traffic.

The food is always going to be overpriced at the ploughing but I don’t mind that as it’s to be expected. Although I went to one of the rumbles “sit down” restaurants at half 3, only a handful in the queue, loads of spare seating and a good dinner for €15. A choice of beef, chicken and a few other items. Potatoes and veg with them. I thought that was great value considering it was €12.50 for a burger and chips at the takeaway tents and the food was good quality too.

The exhibitors area was a disaster. For once it was well laid out with all similar items grouped together, but there was one end up near the funfair and it was just jammed solid. They had all the stalls that kids would be interested in grouped together, Grassmen, O’Neills, Aldi, TikTok, Hurley makers, etc and it was mayhem with 1000’s queueing in the walkways to get into them all. We were parked in car park 1 and the entrance from there was in that corner and it was some job trying to get through all of that crowd to the remaining stalls. Although once you got through that corner the rest of the walkways were ok so maybe it was a good thing to keep all that stuff up in one corner.

The machinery and livestock tents were very disappointing. From talking to people I know that were on stands the price hikes for the space have been crazy so it’s not a bit surprising to see so many big names gone. Condells in Portlaoise are only a stones throw from there and had no stand at it with the Massey tractors so that tells you enough. Atkins normally have one of the best stands with Fendt and Bredal and this is the first time they weren’t there. McHales, Major, Malone, Samco and Abbey had the most impressive stands from what I remember. I think all of the machinery and livestock exhibitors should get together and tell the NPA they’re all pulling out together if they don’t do something about the setup and pricing.

The 3 items I wanted to see were a silage rake, a generator and a gps for one of the tractors. I think Malone, McHales and the JF centre were the only stands with rakes there, none of the more common manufacturers. The few stalls selling generators were all crazy busy so I just got brochures and will contact them again. I saw no one there with gps systems so that was a dead duck too!

A sure sign of the way it has changed into a show for tat rather than agriculture when you can’t even view what would be very common agricultural items at it any more. 10 years ago I’d have been able to do a deal on all of them items I wanted there on the day, you can’t even see them there any more now.

Toilet blocks down at the end of the vintage display area tend to be quiet and no queues either.

Anyone know the results of international classes from yesterday, or have they been announced? Not carried on the NPA website as yet. A small crowd had gathered around Eamon Treacy yesterday as he completed his plot.

I didn't go this year and it sounds like I missed nothing.

Watching Agriland Live here and Alice Doyle from IFA was just speaking.

Have to say every time I hear her speak, I'm in awe of her. A real intelligent and competent speaker.

That was it!

Is the size of the thing noticeably reduced?

I get the impression that apart from the State stands, media and the likes of Oneills selling tat you can buy in any sports shop or online there’s not a lot to see this year?

I remember good stuff like the Land Rover off-road area or Husqvarna chainsaws- pure marketing of course but really good displays and entertaining. Sounds like there’s nothing like that now

Back home in Cavan now.

we were in the parking at 8:45, straight run in, light traffic at that time so hard to judge how the set up was.

crossed a large stubble field, aluminium track half way, two cars in front of us bogged down as soon as we left it, one a silly lowered bora with a big back pipe and the bumper pulled off it, we did laugh. Very sticky coming out, good few stuck cars and cans in our corner but they were driving into a wet hollow like lemmings rather than looking at the field and taking to the high ground.

disappointed less stock on show.

down the funfair end was total rubbish, tat stalls and young kids hanging about. But in general I’d say the large groups of teenagers were less and possibly better behaved than in the past,

rain always woefull when we arrived and it kept the crowd small, we got to the few stands we wanted and there was plenty of time to talk to reps, made our purchase. Spoke to department rep about ACRES scheme which was very helpful, she wasn’t that confident about uptake among intensive farmers, but agreed that not all Tier2 farmers would ever get in. Spoke to her about plan carrying over to use in second year and she said there would need to be an additional payment to the advisor no matter what but that would be up for negotiation with them.

young lass had a great day. Mrs came and hadn’t been in 25years.

There's a few saying this end of the country they're getting more enjoyment from Tullow, Tinahealy, Bannow and Iverk shows than this years event.

Haven't gone to any of those this year either.

But thank the committees they're still going ..strong.

Was talking to a large exhibitor last week, said when turned up on site they had 30metre frontage instead of 23 they’d booked. Obviously a tactic to cover up the gaps in the show, he did also say Royal Highland was same this year though load of large machinery missing

if they want It to survive long term they would identify the shortcomings and rectify them pronto so that it doesn't slip any further but I doubt they will