National Ploughing Champs to return to Kilkenny

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http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2594&ArticleID=2930460

2008 Ploughing Championships are headed for Kilkenny
THE country's most successful and largest annual outdoor event is coming here next year, the Kilkenny People has learned.

The National Ploughing Championships is expected to bring about 220,000 people to the county in 2008. That will provide a huge financial windfall with many of the exhibitors arriving at least a week beforehand to mount trade stands and other displays.
The Kilkenny People understands that a site has been chosen around three miles from Kilkenny City on the Waterford Road.
Detailed discussions between the landowner and the officials from the National Ploughing Championships (NPA) have been held during the last number of months.
NPA boss Anna May McHugh was in the city recently to cast her expert eye over the farm which will become the centre of operations for next year's championships.
Engineers and other professionals have examined maps of the area to ensure that the substantial agricultural holding adheres to health and safety legislation.
Last year's championships in Tullow,
Co Carlow attracted 220,000 visitors over three days and pumped E20 million into the local economy.
No other outdoor event in the country comes anywhere near the championships in terms of visitor numbers and profile.
Every major company in Ireland is represented and every farm-related business here and in Northern Ireland has a stand. It attracts between 700 and 800 exhibitors each year and 300 plough men and women.
The championship will fill every hotel, guest house and B & B in Kilkenny and many in Waterford, Carlow and Clonmel as well.
The championships will also provide huge opportunities for tradesmen and others over the three-week period.
The championships are normally held in September. The 2008 event may be be held between Tuesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 25 inclusive but no formal date has yet been agreed.
Traffic will be a major headache as visitors from every other part of the country converge on the city.
06 June 2007

Lump

With all these events, you think they would sort out the infrastructure.

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Lump wrote:

With all these events, you think they would sort out the infrastructure.

The new part of the ring road and the Carlow bypass should be open by then will help things a good bit. Still though it will be chaos in a lot of places. Great to see this event return to KK, it's one of my favourite things about Ireland. I know people may snear but there is a real buzz about it always.