Ploughing Championship Gathering in Full Swing

Tuesday September 25, 2007 21:36

by Azerbijan

The national ploughing championships are taking place this week in Tullamore. This is a personal account of someone attending.

Free tea and bikkies from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Fuck all from Sinn Fein and the Labour party. It is my habit at the ploughing to scrounge of the political parties as a little payback. The Fianna Fail stand was interesting distributing free DVDs of Bertie and free 1916 proclamations (imitation of Eirigi or what). Fine Gael had Buy Irish leaflets but tents had a bit of a buzz around them, I suppose because of the free tea and biscuits. The Labour tent was like a morgue, with two people in it one lwith some leaflets on a table, another talking on the phone, no tea and bikkies here. Sinn Fein had a tent wher they tried to sell you stuff T-Shirts (a refund on my No-Decommisioning one was refused) books and dvds, not as quiet as labour but no tea and bikkies. The Shinners were a stones throw from the Garda tent which I declined to visit.

Still lots to see guys promoting hemp growing, Gardai not interested. Wind power generators, log built homes, timbers cabins, forestry companies, livestock, farm amchinery lots and lots of it (little kids heaven and the ones I saw were loving it). Investment merchants, property shows competed with mud and traders selling everything from the speedy peeler to plastic toys.

El presidente opened the gig and it was nice to see Sinn Fein sharing a platform with bankers, Fianna Fails Brian Cowen, bishops etc. all together now on the one road.

What always strikes me though about the ploughing is how rare it is in Ireland now to see so big an event that is so ethnicly pure. It is over 95% Irish with very few dark skinned people and the only eastern europeans being catering or cleaning workers. I suppose that is to be expected seeing as who owns the land but it is a bit of a culture shock when you consider what the mix is like on the streets of our towns and cities.

Anyhow I love the country folk full of banter and craic and always in good cheer at this event. Compliments to the people of Tullamore for the welcome and to the restaurants for not jackin up their prices.