Category: 2013 Archive

Fashion Shows continue to be a key attraction at the National Ploughing Championships and this year sees ten boutiques and fashion houses taking part in three hourly shows per day. Fashion followers will be treated to all the latest styles and designs of the coming season.

Shows take place daily at 11.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm with the Holman Lee Model Agency partnering the NPA once again this year to compere during each show and supply models to the catwalk. Some of the participating boutiques/fashion outlets taking part in the Fashion Shows this year include local retailers Number One Boutique and Seven Ladies Boutique from Portlaoise along with Wexford’s La Crème Boutique and premier country living clothes champion, Noreen O’Donnell’s of New Ross.  International designer clothing company Style-Ikon owned by Tanya McGilligan who specialises in clothing, shoes and bags from Italy, South Korea and Brazil will also feature.

For those wishing to catch a glimpse of what colour and cut will feature in the fashion realm for the coming season make your way to the dedicated Fashion Show marquee conveniently located within the Arcade section of the Trade Arena, at Block 1, Row A1, Stand Number 510.

The ever  popular ‘Most Appropriately Dressed Lady’ competition takes place again this year with a very exclusive prize of a €500 voucher from Wineport Lodge. The ‘Most Appropriately Dressed Gent’ is being sponsored by Louis Copeland & Sons who have once more provided the NPA with a superbly tailored suit for those males making the effort to look the part while Thomas Cook Holidays will sponsor the overall Grand Audience Prizes in the Fashion Marquee to a value of €500 each for a man and woman.

 Pamela Curtin Millinery, Bernice Rafferty of www.fashionfeathers.com  along with The Hair Gallery will supply hats, jewellery and hair & beauty services to all on the ramp.
At the Championships , RTE will run a Make Over competition from their tent and Neelu Beauty Services of Arnotts  will ensure visitors will be treated to expert advice from regarding their personal style, skin  and overall beauty routine.

Looking forward to this year’s event, Managing Director, Ms Anna May McHugh said “We have a feast of fashion at the championships this year, it is a must arena to visit for both the men and the ladies, the added spectacle of two grand audience prizes is exciting, I’m sure the front row will be full for every show’ .

Location Map

Location Details

 Final Row Numbers

About The Race

Where: Please come join us for the 2013 Plough-On & Run, a 10k fun run in aid of VITA on September 22nd at 11am in Ratheniska, Stradbally, Co. Laois, the site of the 2013 National Ploughing Championships. All proceeds from this NON-PROFIT event are in aid of VITA.

The route will be a relatively flat around the site of this year’s Ploughing Championships. The 10km road surface is ideal for a Personal Best, Couch to 5k or fun runners.

Registration

• Online only registration – this reduces cost.
• Online at Run Ireland: http://www.runireland.com/active/enter-this/204606
• or links on the following websites: www.vita.ie, www.npa.ie www.asaireland.ie
• Cost EUR15.00. 
• Deadline for online entries is Sept 21st at 6pm; online entries must collect their race number on the day.

On the day:

• Please arrive early to give yourself time to collect your number and warm up. 
• Important: The main roads will not be closed so please note you will be running with light traffic on one side of the road
• We will have a bag drop area at the registration area
• First Aid cover and water will be provided on the day
• Goodie bag at the finish line for all participants
• Small prizes to the fastest runners in each category
• Representatives and info from VITA explaining what they do, so you can see who you are helping. 
• A map of the course will be available online closer to the day.
• The emphasis on the day is to have fun for both the novice and the more experienced runner, families and friends spending time together and making a difference.

Please come out and support this fantastic charity and we hope to see you on the day.
The link to enter is below: 
http://www.runireland.com/active/enter-this/204606

The National Ploughing Association and Bank of Ireland today launched a promotional brochure giving details of the upcoming 82nd National Ploughing Championships taking place from 24th, 25th, 26th September in Ratheniska, Stradbally, Co Laois. Ireland’s Largest Outdoor Event is making a long overdue return visit to the area for the first time in 70 years, since the Championships took place in Lamberton, Ratheniska in 1943.

Bank of Ireland was represented at the launch by Sean Farrell, Head of Agriculture, Bank of Ireland Business Banking who said: “The National Ploughing Championships is a very important sponsorship for the Bank. We approved in excess of €500 million in new and increased lending to the agri sector last year and we have ambitions to grow this figure in the current year. In focusing on this growth drive, we recently appointed a new team of agricultural development managers to ensure that we can support our existing and new farming and agri customers. We would encourage anyone in this sector who is looking for credit to come and talk to us. We will have our annual stand at the event and new and existing customers can come and meet with us there”. Also present were host farmers David & Clive Carter, Anna May McHugh and NPA Chairman James Sutton.

This year will see an array of new and exciting exhibitor’s as well as hundreds of veteran companies showcasing their products and services. In the machinery section for the first time we have Lucas G SAS, travelling from France to showcase their feeders, straw bedders and diet feeders.  All of the Agri. Sectors will be well represented and a number of Product launches are at the planning stage.

The National Ploughing Association is working in conjunction with Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to be part of the Gathering Ireland Initiative for 2013. We will be introducing a traditional Irish Céilí to the 2013 event as part of the Gathering Ireland, showcasing traditional Irish culture to our overseas visitors

Leader Village will again be presenting entrepreneurs, businesses and a variety of groups supported by Leader, exhibiting a fantastic diversity of products and services all under one roof. Laois County Council will be showcasing the best of the economic, social and cultural services that Laois has to offer.
Returning to the show this year will be the tremendously popular Tented Trade Village with demand necessitating all marquees this year to be the large type, introduced for the first time for a portion of the indoor exhibition on a trial basis last year.
Already the Food Fayre looks like it will be extended this year with Good Food Ireland, Bord Bia and an array of artisan food producers showcasing their wares. The Forestry Village will feature the Husqvarna Pole Climbing, Advisory Authorities and many of the services associated with this sector. 
A number of new and exciting initiatives in the Agricultural Machinery Sector are at the planning stage and will add an interesting dimension to the arena which will see the welcome return to our Innovations Arena also.

In the ploughing stakes a particularly strong programme has attracted entries from all around the country and Northern Ireland bringing the number preparing to plough in Laois to 330 over the 3 days.

Exhibition Space is at a premium at this stage with the NPA Site Team starting to mark out the Trade Arena from early August, this is expected to exceed the size of the 2012 Championships.

Download the brochure HERE.