Author: National Ploughing Association

The Local Enterprise Village at this year’s National Ploughing Championships will provide a snapshot of the cream of the crop of Ireland’s small businesses according to Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, who launched the Local Enterprise Office initiative today in Dublin.

The Local Enterprise Village will feature over 30 small businesses, each a client of their Local Enterprise Office across the country. There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices located in Local Authorities nationwide funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. This year the Local Enterprise Village will have a slightly Welsh theme with 6 clients involved who have taken part in Catalyst and Bucanier programmes strengthening partnerships between Ireland and Wales ahead of Brexit.

There will be a variety of products and services on show for the visitors to this year’s Ploughing Championships to enjoy, which includes food, fashion, agtech products, farm safety equipment, board games, sportswear, skincare and even a dog bakery!

There were several Local Enterprise Office clients in Dublin today to help launch this year’s Local Enterprise Village along with Minister Humphreys. These included Oscar Wilde Water from Local Enterprise Office Tipperary, Little Red Design Studio from Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Harry’s Dog Bakery from Local Enterprise Office Monaghan, BackBaller from Local Enterprise Office Clare and Orwell & Browne Irish Tweed from Local Enterprise Office Donegal.

Minister Humphreys put emphasis on the key role these businesses play in Ireland’s economy; “The Local Enterprise Village is a snapshot of the wide variety of businesses supported by the Government through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). These firms are the bedrock of local economies right across the country, which is why we are putting an increased focus on the LEOs under the Future Jobs Ireland strategy. This event is a fantastic opportunity for the businesses involved to showcase their products and services, and I look forward to seeing them all in Carlow.”

Kieran Comerford, from the Local Enterprise Offices, outlined what a significant opportunity this is for these businesses; “You are looking at a potential footfall for these businesses of over 250,000 people across the 3 days of the Ploughing Championships. That is simply incredible for them, to be given that size of a captive audience to sell to, does not happen to small businesses like this. We have put in extensive work with each business to ensure they are as best prepared as they can be for the ploughing and the maximise this opportunity through sales and marketing training and stand development. The Local Enterprise Village is always a hub of wonderful products and innovative services and will no doubt be a big hit again with the visitors to Ballintrane.

The NPA Kildare Director John Dunne said; “It is marvelous to see that so many diverse and interesting businesses, from every county in Ireland, will be represented at this year’s National Ploughing Championships’ ‘Local Enterprise Village’.  This is an ideal and unique opportunity for these companies to showcase their products & services to the huge number of visitors that Ploughing attracts.”

This unique initiative by the Local Enterprise Offices means that over 30 small businesses from across the country get the chance to exhibit and sell at Europe’s largest outdoor event, something that would not be financially viable most small businesses across the country. The Local Enterprise Offices are located nationwide and play a key role in helping small businesses to start and grow. Since their inception in 2014 they have helped create over 18,000 jobs in indigenous companies all over the country.

The 88^th National Ploughing Championships take place from the 17^th to 19^th of September in Ballintrane, Fenagh, County Carlow. For more information on the Local Enterprise Village and the supports that the Local Enterprise Offices give to small businesses go to www.LocalEnterprise.ie

Over one hundred Top Oil billboards are located around the country advertising #Ploughing19 in Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co Carlow from Sept 17th to 19th.

At the Top Oil/Ploughing launch Anna May McHugh said “it is a very important partnership with Top Oil as the signs remind patrons that it is time to get ready for ploughing.

As the main fuel sponsors, Top Oil bring much to the table in terms of supporting the hosting of the Championships.

As the onsite fuel supplier, they will supply the fuel requirements for the entire event throughout the 3 days such as the supply for all of the generators powering the site and the lighting towers that extend out to a radius of over 30 km, all of the event machinery and courtesy vehicles, and the fuel requirements of many of the 1700 exhibitors and the 350 competitor tractors.”

Andrew Meagher, Head of Sales, Direct & Reseller at Top Oil , said “We are delighted to be supporting this prestigious event for our sixth consecutive year. The move to Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co Carlow will provide a great boost for the area and we have no doubt that the event will be as successful as it has been for many years now.
There is always great excitement throughout our nationwide network of Top Oil depots and retail sites about the ploughing and this year is no different. We are proud to be providing quality fuels and excellent customer service to local businesses and farming communities across Ireland for many years.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ‘PLOUGHING’ AS TOP OIL BRAND THE NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS. Pictured at the launch of the NPC 2019 road-sign billboards in conjunction with Top Oil for this yearÕs National Ploughing Championships which will be held in Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co Carlow from Sept 17th to 19th. From left: Anna May McHugh, NPA Managing Director; Matt Byrne, Top OIl Business Development Manager; Louise Hyland, Top Oil Marketing Manager; Mr. Ted and Andrew Meagher, Top Oil Head of Sales, Direct & Resellers.
Picture: Alf Harvey, no reproduction fee, supplied from NPA.

We are really looking forward to working closely with The National Ploughing Association again this year. Our two organisations have our roots in local rural communities and we very much look forward to supporting the NPA to showcase and celebrate the very best of rural Ireland.
We welcomed many customers, new and old, to our stand at the Ploughing last year and we hope to meet many more at this year’s event.”

A great crowd attended the 1954 World Ploughing Contest ‘Cairn of Peace’ monument as it was unveiled in the centre of Killarney, Co Kerry at the weekend, for a very joyous and historic occasion.

Each year a ‘Cairn of Peace’ is erected in the location where the competition was run and it is was fantastic to see that 65 years later this tremendous monument was unveiled.  This was the first World Ploughing Contest to take place on European soil and the second ever World Ploughing Competition.

13 teams from all over the world competed over the 2 days in Killarney in 1954.  As the monument was unveiled flags representing each of these countries were raised as the Irish National Anthem was sung.

It was also a great privilege to have the 1954 winner from Northern Ireland Hugh Barr attend and representatives from the 1954 Republic of Ireland Ploughing team comprised of William Murphy and Ronald Sheane.

It is important to note that the NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh & Anna Marie McHugh the World Ploughing Organization General Secretary, the local organising committee chaired by Tom Leslie all in Kerry Ploughing and Kerry County Council all worked tirelessly to ensure that this wonderful initiative came to fruition.

“Let peace cultivate the land” The Cairn of Peace Monument to commemorate the World Ploughing Championships held in Gortroe, Killarney in 1954, was unveiled by Mrs Anna May McHugh, Managing Director of National Ploughing Association (NPA) and Mr Hugh Barr, (aged 93) from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, who won the World Ploughing championships in Killarney that year. The Cairn of Peace, symbolizes the spirit of this competition, in keeping with tradition, a piece of stone from all the countries that participated in the world forms part of the cairn.Mrs McHugh, was secretary of the National Ploughing Association when the world championships were held in Killarney. The Cairn is located on Mission Road, Killarney. The plough was donated by local Farmer, Sean O’Donoghue, the Cairn was designed and built by Ben O’Sullivan, Ballyhar, and organised by South Kerry Ploughing Association and NPA.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan/FREE PIC***/Issued 12/05/2019

Bernard O’Sullivan a Killarney local designed this magnificent work of art, which will stand the test of time and be admired by future generations who will be reminded of the importance of ‘Ploughing’ and the motto ‘Let Peace Cultivate the Land.’

 €15,000 prize on offer as National Brown Bread Baking Competition Launches for 2019!

 The National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2019 is open for entries.

Aldi will once again this year sponsor The National Brown Bread Baking Competition, in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA).

Relaunched five years ago by the NPA, the event has proven to be a huge success, with entries from each one of the 26 counties. NPA MD Anna May Mc Hugh and ICA President Josephine Helly were joined by Sile Seoige today to announce details of this year’s competition.

NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said “Given the huge popularity and success of the National Brown Bread Baking competition at Ploughing over the past four years, we are once again delighted to be renewing our partnership with Aldi and the ICA.  It is wonderful to see the long and great tradition of baking in Ireland alive and well at Ploughing.  The total attendance figures for the 2018 National Championships  came to 240.700 and this year’s event in the new location of Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co. Carlow looks set to be bigger and better than ever.”

The National Brown Bread Baking competition is open to both members and non-members of the ICA, and baking enthusiasts have the opportunity to earn some serious ‘dough’, with a share of the profits from the sale of their winning loaf once it goes on sale in Aldi*. Second place will receive €1,000, €500 for third, €300 for fourth and the other semi-finalists will all get €200 each**.

Once again this year, entering the competition will be easier than ever, and Aldi is encouraging any bakers over the age of 18 to take part to be in with a chance of seeing their bread on shelves nationwide. Keen bakers that can’t make it to any of the ICA heats will be able to bring their freshly baked bread to 4 Aldi locations nationwide for tasting by the panel of independent judges.

Keen bakers can enter via the Aldi heats by dropping their bread off at the following locations on the following dates:

• Aldi Ireland Head Office, Newbridge Road, Naas, Co. Kildare (12^th June 2019 from 10.30am – 1pm)
• Aldi Regional Office, Limerick Road, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork (12^th June 2019 from 10.30am – 1pm)
• Aldi Store, New Town Centre, Oranmore, Co. Galway (19^th June from 10.30am – 1pm)
• Aldi Store, Wexford Retail Park, Clonard Little, Wexford (19^th June from 10.30am – 1pm)

Group Buying Director, John Curtin said, “At Aldi, we are a proud supporter of Irish suppliers so we are delighted to sponsor The National Brown Bread Baking Competition again, celebrating something as quintessentially Irish as brown bread. ‘Emma’s Brown Bread’ has proven a hit with our customers, and we hope the winner this year will achieve the same success with their brown bread. This year, we are making it easier than ever for people to enter with our regional drop off points, and so we hope to see keen bakers getting involved. At Aldi, we sell a range of great value baking essentials in our 137 stores nationwide so consumers can stock their pantries and make home baked goods all year round.”

ICA members can participate in the competition through local guilds, with heats taking place nationwide and regional finals taking place at An Grianán, ICA Adult Education Centre on July 18^th.

The four finalists selected from the Aldi bread drops, along with the four finalists selected through the ICA will compete at the National Finals. The National Semi Finals and Final will be held from 17^th – 19^th September at the Aldi Marquee during the 2019 National Ploughing Championships in Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co. Carlow.

Speaking at the launch, Josephine Helly, President of the ICA said, “Our members are once again delighted to be taking part in the National Brown Bread Baking Competition to find the best Brown Bread baker in Ireland.  There has been huge interest and the winner will be generously rewarded.”

If you think you have the recipe for success, log ontowww.aldi.ie/brown-bread-competition or www.ica.ie for information on how to enter and further details about the county finals.

* The winner’s brown bread will also be stocked in all Aldi Stores in Ireland for twelve months and they will receive a share of the profits, guaranteed to be at least €15,000.

**All winners (with the exception of first place) will receive their prizes in Aldi Vouchers

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