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Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin meets his fans on day one at the National Ploughing Championships 2026 in Screggan, Tullamore, County Offaly. Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
National Ploughing Championships
Sun showers and sheep shearing on day one of the National Ploughing Championships
TDs were anxious to make their presence felt at the event before they return to work in the Dáil on Wednesday.
ACROSS THE FAMED 700-acre site in Screggan, Co Offaly, 77,000 men, women and children donned their wellies and jackets to march across the National Ploughing Championships.
This year marks its 95th edition.
Today was day one of the three-day affair and the sun was out for the day, to everyone’s glee. A few light showers did little to dampen spirits – one woman seated at a bench early in the afternoon when rain sprinkled down remarked, ‘It’s only a sun shower’ – and a sizeable fraction of the Oireachtas were out in force.
Hands were shaken, photographs were taken, and politicians pressed the flesh with attendees and agricultural industry representatives.
Today was decidedly less politically-focused than last year in the aftermath of the presidential election, and President Catherine Connolly’s presence was minimal. A short visit to the horse ploughing in the morning was followed by the annual presidential speech at the grandstand to officially open the championships at noon.
Connolly used her first of seven speeches across her presidential term to highlight concerns around Ireland’s reliance on food imports.
“Unfortunately, the Ploughing Championships this year take place against unprecedented global heating due to climate change, causing the extreme weather we see all around us,” Connolly said.
It was a timely message. Farmers across the event stressed the financial pressure on the industry given this year’s fodder crisis, which was exacerbated by the extreme heat Ireland sweltered through this summer.
Connolly did not take any questions from the media, citing that she was due to travel to Scotland for an official visit with her husband. It was a disappointment for many who wished to query her on her meeting with US President Donald Trump at the weekend – and her sister Margaret Connolly’s comments to CNN at a protest opposing his visit.
In her stead, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the media that Margaret Connolly is entitled to her own viewpoint as a private citizen. He did not agree that the White House should be “flattened”, as Margaret had stated.
The long road to the site bore signs advertising Fianna Fáil’s stand (stand 169 in row 9, if of interest), but when it came to its party leader’s time to take questions, he was nowhere to be found.
His colleagues Minister Dara Calleary and TD Niall Collins waited in front of the cameras until Martin arrived, some 40 minutes late, and answered on Budget 2027 action to mitigate the rising cost of home heating oil, Irish reunification, and plans to support people working in agriculture.
A large crowd had gathered around the media scrum awaiting Martin and there was some excitement as the leader appeared. After his media engagement had concluded, he was rapidly absorbed into the crowd, taking pictures and even signing autographs.
Later in the afternoon, down at the Fine Gael stand, Tánaiste Simon Harris was joined by his parliamentary colleagues. The Fine Gael leader had dug out his wellies for the occasion and then made his way around some of the stands, receiving a hearty reception in the Irish Farmers’ Association tent.
Sinn Féin also had a notable presence, with its leader Mary Lou McDonald in attendance.
It wasn’t all politics, of course, but TDs were anxious to make their presence felt at the event before they return to work in the Dáil on Wednesday.
In Screggan, boots were flung in the welly-throwing competition, while around the corner contestants peered through oven windows at their submissions in the semi-finals of the national brown bread competition.
Across the site, attendees carted around industrial-sized crisp bags (a deal meant six large bags of O’Donnells could be secured for a tenner).
Movember have teamed up with longtime supporter Sam’s Barbers and were providing free haircuts at their impressive shed, as they’ll continue to over the next two days.
And then, of course, there was sheep shearing, cattle wash and the crowning of this year’s machine of the year (the Manitou MLT 625 e battery-powered, compact telehandler).
It’ll all be back in force on Wednesday, for what promises to be a busy day in Screggan.
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