After a two-year absence, the National Ploughing Championships will return to Ratheniska in September 2022.
The three-day event will occur in Co Laois on September 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2022.
An NPA delegation of Anna May and Anna Marie McHugh and president, James Sutton, recently held a virtual meeting with An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Minister Charlie McConalogue.
An NPA spokesperson described the meeting – regarding plans for this year’s event – as “very constructive”.
Ploughing 2022
Organisers claim that the largest outdoor event in the Irish calendar is set for a “huge comeback” this September.
2019 saw the biggest event to date, with almost 300,000 passing through the gates. Last year, organisers held a ‘behind closed doors’ event in line with public health guidelines.
In a statement in January 2022, a spokesperson for the NPA said: “There is immense interest and positive reaction from exhibitors, patrons and visitors alike.”
The spokesperson said: “Companies are anxious to get back trading; patrons are anxious to do business.”
“Public health and safety guidelines will be a priority this year. The fact that the event is largely outdoor spread across hundreds of acres is a huge advantage.”
Anna May McHugh, NPA managing director, said:
“It has been wonderful to see the warmth and depth of support from all over the country and even internationally over the past couple of years for the National Ploughing Championships and, in particular, this year’s event.”
“I’m delighted to announce that the Trade Exhibition Portal will open in March. We will work very closely with exhibitors making sure they are up to speed on regulations as they unfold over the coming months,” she concluded.
Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland
From 6 am on Saturday, January 22nd, 2022, the government removed capacity restrictions for outdoor events.
Furthermore, it confirmed that mask-wearing still applies in various settings, including healthcare, public transport, taxi, airports/ports/stations and retail premises.
