Will you go to the ploughing 2018

whelan2

I am going on my annual trip with my local pub, not sure what day yet , so are you going ?

I says

whelan2 wrote: »

I am going on my annual trip with my local pub, not sure what day yet , so are you going ?

Yes I want to price a few things it’s only over the road from me

lakill Farm

Yes.

Going to buy a slanetrac Hc150 hedge cutter for the mini digger. It’s like a finger bar mower type hedgecutter.

RobinBanks

I bought locking barriers direct from Teemore few years back. Might get a few more sets if I see them above

Purple Mountain

I haven't been since I was a child so this year I've promised my little guy I'll bring him for first time.
It's a great institution.

_Brian

Myself and the brother will probably go, nothing in mind just a stroll about and look at the stock.

Reggie.

I says wrote: »

Yes I want to price a few things it’s only over the road from me

Same as that

Sacrolyte

What’s access like?

wrangler

lakill Farm wrote: »

Yes.

Going to buy a slanetrac Hc150 hedge cutter for the mini digger. It’s like a finger bar mower type hedgecutter.

I flagged this one on here a couple of months ago, it didn't get a good review here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUHIkCx7yY

BuboBubo

Hoping to go on the first day this year, was supposed to go for day 2 last year, didn't bother because the weather was sh1t.

Himself is from a farming background, he loves the machinery and livestock. I love the livestock and just general mooching around.

It's the 3rd year in Screggan, wonder where it'll be held next year?

lakill Farm

wrangler wrote: »

I flagged this one on here a couple of months ago, it didn't get a good review here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUHIkCx7yY

Far better controls on a mini digger. Working out slightly under 2500. I have 600m of beech hedge and it doesn’t like flail I’m told by a lad in the know.

So I’ll invest and might do a few private hedges. The digger will travel on lawns without much damage

Shpud2

I hope to go. Just like the machinery tbh but its always a good day.

Hagimalone

RobinBanks wrote:

I bought locking barriers direct from Teemore few years back. Might get a few more sets if I see them above

Would you get much of a deal on the day, l have to buy a couple of various types?

RobinBanks

Hagimalone wrote: »

Would you get much of a deal on the day, l have to buy a couple of various types?

Oh I've no idea to be honest. I've never been to the ploughing. Just thought if they were there I would price them that's all.

wrangler

lakill Farm wrote: »

Far better controls on a mini digger. Working out slightly under 2500. I have 600m of beech hedge and it doesn’t like flail I’m told by a lad in the know.

So I’ll invest and might do a few private hedges. The digger will travel on lawns without much damage

I was actually thinking of one too for the loader so will be interested to hear how it works. my hedgecutting is much reduced now so might be hard to get a contractor, I'll miss the flail though, fingerbar won't be near as tidy, I could do it a few times through the summer though.

lakill Farm

wrangler wrote: »

I was actually thinking of one too for the loader so will be interested to hear how it works. my hedgecutting is much reduced now so might be hard to get a contractor, I'll miss the flail though, fingerbar won't be near as tidy, I could do it a few times through the summer though.

Hedges I will be cutting will be around the house

I’ll still get the flail in for agri work

Dakota Dan

whelan2 wrote: »

I am going on my annual trip with my local pub, not sure what day yet , so are you going ?

What's other option about?

Angus2018

I don't plan to go this year. I find it's getting a bit too big and crowded but I'll see on the Tuesday.

whelan2

Dakota Dan wrote: »

What's other option about?

Just to cover all angles. Some could be working on site etc

Genghis Cant

Sacrolyte wrote: »

What’s access like?

Good to excellent.

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

Just to cover all angles. Some could be working on site etc

No Atari Jaguar option though:(

RobinBanks

Would Mullingar be a handy enough spot to stay for getting to ploughing. What time would need to be arriving in morning to see everything comfortably in one day

Lady Haywire

RobinBanks wrote: »

Would Mullingar be a handy enough spot to stay for getting to ploughing. What time would need to be arriving in morning to see everything comfortably in one day

You'll be doing well to see half of it comfortably in one day!

Might go myself, depends if I can push Dad into accompanying me

RobinBanks

Lady Haywire wrote: »

You'll be doing well to see half of it comfortably in one day/quote]

Seriously??? I better book a few days off work so!

tanko

RobinBanks wrote: »

Would Mullingar be a handy enough spot to stay for getting to ploughing. What time would need to be arriving in morning to see everything comfortably in one day

Mullingar would be grand, about 45 mins to the site. Not a hope of seeing everything in one day.
Try to get there for 8 or 9, come 11 the place is wedged with people.
Get a list of the stands and a map of the site, mark the places you want to see on the map and plan a route around the site or you'll just end up wandering around aimlessly and the day will be over before you know it without seeing the stuff you wanted to see.
Oh and dont forget where you parked.

Noveight

Could be there around 2:30pm on Wednesday. Know I won't see a fraction of it at that but I'll probably go all the same, been a few years now.

RobinBanks

tanko wrote: »

Mullingar would be grand, about 45 mins to the site. Not a hope of seeing everything in one day.
Try to get there for 8 or 9, come 11 the place is wedged with people.
Get a list of the stands and a map of the site, mark the places you want to see on the map and plan a route around the site or you'll just end up wandering around aimlessly and the day will be over before you know it without seeing the stuff you wanted to see.
Oh and dont forget where you parked.

Cheers tanko. Great advice, appreciate it

RedPeppers

It’s an annual day out for myself and my mother but she broke her leg at the weekend in a freak accident so don’t know if I’ll go this year no chance of convincing the missus either. Always look forward to it every year and tullamore is a great location for it imo.

Pidae.m

RobinBanks wrote: »

I bought locking barriers direct from Teemore few years back. Might get a few more sets if I see them above

They have great stuff and very well priced

Pidae.m

Working there at my father in laws stand for the Tuesday. Its harder than any day testing at home. It's my penance for the year!

Dakota Dan

Lady Haywire wrote: »

You'll be doing well to see half of it comfortably in one day!

Might go myself, depends if I can push Dad into accompanying me

What age bracket is dad? Just wondering as a neighbour who used to go religiously every year suddenly stopped when he hit 68 even though he’s over 70 now and still farming full time.

Dakota Dan

I went on my own with the missus one year, never again, every isle we went down she said we were there before so I asked her to lead the way and she couldn’t do that either. The next day I brought my daughter and had a great day and saw a lot more.

whelan2

Many free tickets around this year, getting 2 here with grassland agro

hopeso

RobinBanks wrote: »

Lady Haywire wrote: »

You'll be doing well to see half of it comfortably in one day/quote]

Seriously??? I better book a few days off work so!

While you mightn't see everything in a day, you should be able see everything that interests you..... There is such a diverse range of stuff at it now that no one is interested in everything on display.....

Iodine1

I'll prob go for 1 day, just to see a few things and anything new. However I don't look forward to it. Its a pain,walking miles over fields to get in, no where to sit and rest for a moment and generally feel why do I pay to go through this torture? Every year I come away saying never again.

20silkcut

You drive two hours up the country queue in traffic park up in a mucky field walk a mile to queue up again at the gate pay 20 quid to get in and walk around basically to have advertisements and promotions shoved in your face all day.
As a farmer seeing top class livestock in the flesh is a bit of a thrill. I could give half an hour looking at a big massive charolais or simmental bull they are amazing looking animals when your up close to them. The machinery too to see it up close is quite a feast for the eyes.
The odd stand here or there catches the eye, but basically you are undertaking a pilgrimage and paying for the privilege of being exposed to advertising.

_Brian

RobinBanks wrote: »

Would Mullingar be a handy enough spot to stay for getting to ploughing. What time would need to be arriving in morning to see everything comfortably in one day

We try to be onsite before 8am, time to get a bit of grub and then start.
I would do allot of walking and hiking but wlstill find one day a fair push to see all, fair bit of stuff I’d have no interest in though so just skip it bye.

RobinBanks

What time do the gates to the main field open. I presume parking is open much earlier?

RobinBanks

I'm going to follow Tanko's advise. I'm mainly interested in looking at cattle handling facilities, calf bedding options and fencing equipment. These are the 3 most labour intensive areas on my farm and I will focus on looking at these while I'm there. If we have time to spare I'd like to look at some machinery. Implements for front loader especially

lakill Farm

id try to be on site ready to rock for 730am. remember what car park your parked if you take no other advice here

Then I always start on Row 1 stand 1 and work over and back.

Skip what I have no interest in and look at what I have interest in.

Normally I stay out of them large tented areas. and you will have all covered by 1130/12 noon. grab a burger and head to the few spots you had an interest in but nobody was free to chat to. Out the gate 3/4pm

No traffic in, No traffic out
Parked close to the gates
most stands visited before the crowds hit

Iodine1

20silkcut wrote: »

You drive two hours up the country queue in traffic park up in a mucky field walk a mile to queue up again at the gate pay 20 quid to get in and walk around basically to have advertisements and promotions shoved in your face all day.
As a farmer seeing top class livestock in the flesh is a bit of a thrill. I could give half an hour looking at a big massive charolais or simmental bull they are amazing looking animals when your up close to them. The machinery too to see it up close is quite a feast for the eyes.
The odd stand here or there catches the eye, but basically you are undertaking a pilgrimage and paying for the privilege of being exposed to advertising.

Agree, pretty much sums up the experience all right.

wrangler

Iodine1 wrote: »

Agree, pretty much sums up the experience all right.

The exhibitors pay to be there, the farmers pay to look at them, win win really.
The gas thing is that we've been similarly screwed in the same townsland only five weeks before

Gravelly

Last year was like fighting in the mud of Ypres. I don't think I've ever been as thoroughly saturated in my entire life. Just about made it out of the car park too, saw loads of people buried to the axles (don't rev it in a muddy field!). Will go this year if the weather looks better, but no way I'm going if it's like last year. I must be getting soft.
I think you can see all of it in one day if, in the words of Winston Churchill, you don't stop to throw stones at every dog that barks, but it means getting there early, pushing on at a fair pace, and only stopping at the stands that you actually are interested in.

blue5000

whelan2 wrote: »

Many free tickets around this year, getting 2 here with grassland agro

Any chance of a spare one, young lad started secondary and OH isn't too pushed. Where's there stand btw?

_Brian

wrangler wrote: »

The exhibitors pay to be there, the farmers pay to look at them, win win really.
The gas thing is that we've been similarly screwed in the same townsland only five weeks before

People can always stay at home, attendance isn’t compulsory!

Reggie.

Is say the ground conditions will be fine. Would take a serious amount of water to turn the ground like it was last year

anthony500_1

Hope to go this year have not been for 3yrs now, if weather is good I'll go the Tuesday I'd say. If it is promised wet I'll go to work might as well be getting paid for being misserable. I'll leave Galway at 5 with the intention of being parked by latest 7.30am. Head straight for cattle section as I can't stand the crowds later in the day you see nothing and find it hard to talk to the owners/showers. Nice to see them prepping the cattle too washing drying etc. Then it's off to see the stands around 10. Start at row 1 no1 and up one row down the next, pass the stuff I've no I terest in. Which is a lot of the stuff. Then try get to see some ploughing hopefully the lads using horses and vintage but will all depend on the day. Out the gap by 4 at the latest stop somewhere along the road far enough away that I won't get caught in traffic

Out of intrest, from Galway would it be best head from balinasloe to blueball or keep her lit up the motorway into kilbeggan tullamore and back out to screggan. I know the back road would be shorter but on ploughing days which would be best

wrangler

anthony500_1 wrote: »

Hope to go this year have not been for 3yrs now, if weather is good I'll go the Tuesday I'd say. If it is promised wet I'll go to work might as well be getting paid for being misserable. I'll leave Galway at 5 with the intention of being parked by latest 7.30am. Head straight for cattle section as I can't stand the crowds later in the day you see nothing and find it hard to talk to the owners/showers. Nice to see them prepping the cattle too washing drying etc. Then it's off to see the stands around 10. Start at row 1 no1 and up one row down the next, pass the stuff I've no I terest in. Which is a lot of the stuff. Then try get to see some ploughing hopefully the lads using horses and vintage but will all depend on the day. Out the gap by 4 at the latest stop somewhere along the road far enough away that I won't get caught in traffic

Out of intrest, from Galway would it be best head from balinasloe to blueball or keep her lit up the motorway into kilbeggan tullamore and back out to screggan. I know the back road would be shorter but on ploughing days which would be best

It's usually difficult to go a different route in than they intend you to go, all back roads will be bumper to bumper on most of the by roads near the site.
Both Northern and eastern traffic seem to be meeting on that kilbeggan roundabout, maybe they'll change that this year

hopeso

anthony500_1 wrote: »

Out of intrest, from Galway would it be best head from balinasloe to blueball or keep her lit up the motorway into kilbeggan tullamore and back out to screggan. I know the back road would be shorter but on ploughing days which would be best

I went two years ago...to the same site. I got to Athlone, and headed out the M6. I wasn't too far out, when I came on the diversion for the ploughing.. I followed the route they had signposted, and arrived at the site in no time. The best access I ever experienced in all the times I went to the ploughing. And this was much later than you plan to go. Probably around 9am... As said, there is no point trying to go your own way, as they have a traffic plan in action, and you won't go against it!

Reggie.

hopeso wrote: »

I went two years ago...to the same site. I got to Athlone, and headed out the M6. I wasn't too far out, when I came on the diversion for the ploughing.. I followed the route they had signposted, and arrived at the site in no time. The best access I ever experienced in all the times I went to the ploughing. And this was much later than you plan to go. Probably around 9am... As said, there is no point trying to go your own way, as they have a traffic plan in action, and you won't go against it!

I go to kilbeggan and out the Clara road

whelan2

Got a text from kids secondary school. They are offering the bus and entry to ploughing for €5! Parents are welcome