Irish ploughmen come out on top in world championships

All eyes may have been on Kilkenny and Tipperary in Croke Park yesterday but Carlow and Wexford stole a march on them by coming first and third in the World Ploughing Championships in Bordeaux the day before. Eamonn Tracey from Garryhill, Carlow, took gold in the conventional class while John Whelan from New Ross, Co Wexford, was third in the reversible class.

Both are seasoned ploughmen. Mr Tracey has represented Ireland internationally nine times, while this was Mr Whelan’s sixth time in the event. Last year he took gold in the reversible ploughing class while Mr Tracey came third in his class.

Some 58 competitors from 31 countries took part in the 61st World Ploughing Championships, run by the World Ploughing Organisation,

Irish woman Anna Marie McHugh was appointed general secretary last year, the first woman to hold this role. She said Ireland had always been highly respected internationally for the quality of its competitors. “However, Eamonn and John in particular are held in extremely high esteem not only in Ireland but across the international ploughing community.”

Ms McHugh's mother Anna May, managing director of the National Ploughing Association, will give details of this year's National Ploughing Championships on Wednesday.