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THE MUD MAY have stayed underfoot, but the Áras hopefuls were knee-deep in handshakes, selfies and small talk at the National Ploughing Championships today.
Throughout the course of the first day of the Ploughing, currently taking place on a sprawling patch of land in Screggan, Co Offaly, the three confirmed candidates – Jim Gavin, Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly – were all out in force pressing the flesh.
It’s an Áras hopeful’s dream – 80,000 punters funneled through narrow lanes, happy to pocket a free tote, pose for a selfie, and nod along to political promises.
This year’s Ploughing saw the area of trade exhibits massively expand as the overall number of stands returned to its pre-covid expanse.
Some heavy rain over the weekend had left every path in the place covered in mud, though conditions were dry for the day.
Among the treats for attendants were a carnival, numerous stages, food stalls and even the new ‘Tigh TikTok’, an onliine-turned-in-person shop featuring a number of Irish brands and businesses.
Behind the photo-ops and tote bags, the talk in the mud was about nitrates, not niceties.
With Brussels threatening to turn off the nitrates derogation tap, dairy farmers in particular fretted aloud about smaller herds, bigger bills, and whether the next generation will even want the keys to the yard.
From Mercosur beef to looming CAP cuts, the men and women trudging the rows in Screggan had plenty to grumble about.
Organisations such as Teasasc, the IFA and a range of farming groups held detailed panel discussions and explainers throughout the course of the day addressing these issues.
The blinkers were on for the Áras candidates however, who strayed little from their usual talking points.
For Jim Gavin, the day was about youth; his own, chiefly.
Asked how a 54-year-old Fianna Fáil nominee might appeal to a generation who often hold his party responsible for their struggles, Gavin breezily replied: “I’m a young man.”
The former Dublin manager’s day included meeting teenagers like disability activist Cara Darmody, and he spoke warmly of their “ambition for Ireland” and “ingenuity”.
He also emphasised that he is “absolutely” a Fianna Fáil member and his parents came from “staunch Fianna Fáil” parts of West Clare.
Meanwhile, he said that the Irish language is “part of me”, though he added that he’s “not as confident as he used to be”. He promised to sharpen it in the coming months.
Gavin generally avoided plunging into the thornier aspects of policy at Screggan.
On his vision for the presidency, Gavin said he wants to follow in the footsteps of Michael D Higgins and Mary Robinson in advocating for those who don’t have a voice.
He later enjoyed a brief of but amicable meeting with Humphreys while out shaking hands and posing for pictures.
Fine Gael’s presidential hopeful was all smiles, eager to remind onlookers that the quiet months away from politics had left her “fully charged” and raring to go.
Addressing reporters today, she painted herself as a candidate shaped by life experience, a “farm girl” who became a credit union manager, a minister in multiple departments, and now presidential hopeful.
Last Sunday the former minister came under pressure over her attendance at Orange Order events as per reporting in the Irish Mail on Sunday.
Speaking at the Ploughing, she described the Drum event as a cross-community picnic, not a parade.
“This is about bringing people together and if we’re ever going to get anywhere, we need to bring people together,” she added
Fine Gael presidential nominee Heather Humphreys speaking at The Ploughing on her attendance of an Orange Order event in Drum, Co Monaghan.
— Andrew Walsh (@AndyBreathnach) September 16, 2025
She said it is a picnic, not a parade, and said the last time she attended was "probably 2015" @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/nenYQgxf6D
Humphreys, who is well-acquainted with the Ploughing, seemed to be in her element as she spoke to dozens of Fine Gael onlookers.
She then enjoyed a stroll around the site, paraded through several tents by a horde of supporters in yellow jackets.
She also enjoyed the enthusiastic support of party leader Simon Harris, who attended the Ploughing today.
Speaking to reporters on her debut at Screggan, independent candidate Catherine Connolly addressed a number of issues – including photos of a Social Democrat TD wearing brown makeup as part of a Barack Obama costume years ago
“I leave that to the Social Democrats to deal with,” she said, noting that the TD had apologised “profusely” and learned from the experience.
She added that we “have all said and done racist things in our lives”, later clarifying that she believed the incident was “appalling, unacceptable, and we should all learn.”
A staunch supporter of the Irish language, Connolly expressed disappointment at its absence from the campaign discourse.
She also called for a national discussion on how nominations for president are handled.
Noting that it was her first time at the Ploughing, she highlighted the importance of youth in farming.
Connolly, like her contenders Gavin and Humphreys, boasted a squaky-clean pair of wellies today as she canvassed alongside MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.
It’s yet to be seen if any of the three candidates will hang around long enough to get them dirty.
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