County Ploughing Championships set to celebrate skill, community and family fun

The 2026 Roscommon Ploughing Championships & Family Field Day promises to be another memorable occasion, bringing together farming tradition, community spirit and family-friendly entertainment.

Taking place tomorrow Sunday, May 3rd, the championships, which attract thousands of visitors each year, will be hosted by the Hanley family on their farm at Lissaneaville, Fuerty.

At the heart of the day will be the ploughing competitions, featuring tractor, horse and vintage ploughing, alongside loy digging contests that showcase skill, precision and heritage.

Visitors can also enjoy the Roscommon Hunt and sheepdog trials, while a strong vintage theme will also run throughout the event with tractor displays, machinery shows and exhibits from Roscommon clubs.

Beyond the competitive field, the event offers something for everyone. There will be live music throughout the day along with an outdoor dance floor and jiving competition. The ever popular craft village with a working forge, trade stands and exhibits from the Road Safety Authority, Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) and gardaí are set to add to the vibrant atmosphere.

Families are especially well catered for with free children’s entertainment, including face painting, balloon modelling, wagon rides and a pet farm, ensuring an enjoyable and memorable day out for all ages.

At the launch of the Roscommon Ploughing Championships in Dalton’s Bar, Fuerty last week, PRO Dylan Beirne acknowledged the continued support from the community of Fuerty and surrounding areas.

“We have a long-standing and close relationship with Fuerty, going back as far as 2004 when Johnny Gallagher hosted the event, and again ten years later in 2014 on the farm of Frankie and Kitty Whyte in Castlestrange,” he said.

Mr Beirne said it was an absolute privilege for the association to work with this year’s fantastic hosts Luke, Teresa, Kenneth, Kellie, Michelle and Lukie. Their late Audrey was also acknowledged during his address.

“Both Luke and Kenneth Hanley have attended all our ploughing meetings, and their level of assistance in all areas has been phenomenal. This has been acknowledged by the committee, and it would be remiss not to state how much we sincerely appreciate their support.

“The Hanley family have strengthened our working relationship within the Fuerty community, who have once again fully committed their support, contributing greatly to the successful planning and execution of the event. It is an excellent farm for hosting, with ideal underfoot conditions thanks to sheep grazing,” he said.

The PRO said it only felt like a short 12 months since last year’s ploughing championships, where feedback from the public and visitors was extremely positive.

“We were fortunate with the weather, and we hope that anyone with a Child of Prague might oblige us again this year. After a long winter and significant rainfall, we are hopeful of favourable conditions, which are so important for an outdoor event,” he said.

The launch heard that following last year's championships, a team represented County Roscommon across a variety of classes, with all performing exceptionally well. Roscommon had two prize winners - Pauline Lavin achieved gold, securing first place in the Junior Ladies Loy Digging, and Dylan Beirne achieved first place in Connacht in the U-21 Junior 2-Furrow Conventional Plough class.

“It was especially fitting that Pauline Lavin from Ardikellan in Strokestown received recognition with a civic reception from Roscommon County Council for her outstanding achievement and for making history for the county. This represents a significant accomplishment at national level in what is becoming an increasingly competitive sport. Our participation also enabled members to volunteer in key roles such as head supervisors, field and road stewards, and office administration, all of whom performed to a very high standard,” he said.

Mr Beirne told the gathering that in recent months, everyone had felt the impact of the rising cost of living from increasing fuel prices to the pressures facing farmers and contractors, many of whom had taken part in demonstrations highlighting these challenges. “In this context, it is especially important to acknowledge and thank those who continue to support us,” he said.

He went on to extend the Association’s sincere thanks to all of its loyal sponsors.

“Your continued support is deeply appreciated. A special word of thanks goes to our main sponsor, Gannon Agricultural Contractors Ltd, whose generous contribution and commitment are a strong endorsement of our event and of community spirit.

“Finally, Roscommon Ploughing Association wishes to thank everyone involved in making this year's event possible our chairman Ger Grehan, secretary Edmund Hester, treasurer Martina Beirne, all committee members, volunteers, and the wider Fuerty community.

“We wish all competitors the very best of luck and look forward to welcoming everyone for an enjoyable and successful day,” he concluded.

On behalf of the host family, Kenneth Hanley thanked everyone for their support, including all the sponsors, especially main sponsor Maurice Gannon.

He extended a special word of thanks to ploughing committee members Martina Beirne, Ger Grehan and Dylan Beirne for doing an amazing job.

“We’re all volunteers at the end of the day and without the people in this room, none of this would be possible,” he said.

MC on the night was secretary, Edmund Hester.