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# Starter's Orders
'You're through the ring of fire': Take a tour of the 'Pig Olympics' course at the Ploughing
‘Ring of fire’, it turned out, was a slight exaggeration.
“YOU’RE THROUGH THE ring of fire, you’re over the jump and back into the tunnel of love…”
— Dermot Allen of Wicklow’s Winetavern Farm was master of ceremonies this week at the ‘pig agility’ course at the National Ploughing Championships. The course – a sort of Olympics for pigs – was drawing plenty of interest at the Co Offaly site near Screggan this week.
The course helps build the agility of the rare breed pigs showcased each September at the event by the Irish Pig Society. Allen said that, along with a ‘pig zoo’ the organisation had set up, it also helped raise awareness and educate children about rare breeds.
“Kids have never even seen live pigs… They’re going into that tent there in awe at the size of some of the pigs.”
Watch: ‘A completely different beast’: A Met Éireann forecaster on how hurricanes can impact Irish weather >
Watch: The epic story of the Vikings in Ireland – as depicted on a 23-metre chainsaw-carved tree >
