Will you go to ploughing 2019?

dzer2

Finding it hard to figure out the delays getting there
I am working in the area around the site and traffic is moving ok. It seems to be further away from the site

Say my name

dzer2 wrote: »

Finding it hard to figure out the delays getting there
I am working in the area around the site and traffic is moving ok. It seems to be further away from the site

I was there yesterday and there was a hold up south of Bunclody at Clohamon.
It turns out the gardai were in Bunclody giving priority to the local traffic that were crossing the ploughing match traffic going to the schools. If the guards weren't there the ploughing traffic would have not had a chance to build up and hence the go slow and large volume of traffic moving en masse up to the site.
But then you'd have the locals giving out.

I was talking to others who had no hold ups either before or after this time through Bunclody and up to the site.

The guards are on every side road entry onto the route ready to stop the ploughing traffic to let out the locals onto the road.

newholland mad

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

This years site location was leaked earlier than the NPA wanted.

It'll be there for 3 years, I suppose, as it takes so long to put the pipes and electricity cables down.

I wouldn't bet on it. We live close by and everything I've heard is one year only. But having said that that was all before the record attendance so that might favour staying put

jfh

K.G. wrote: »

+1 on the young lad .owns 100% of company

Was meandering around looking in that innovation tent, nobody approached me, except some real young fella, flash records! I didn't know which one was in charge, I was asking questions to the older guy who must have been 18 at most but it was the real young lad that owns the company and really impressed me. Only for I had an android phone, would have signed up

Sheep breeder

Went today traffic flowed along nicely this morning and evening and fair play to the Gardai, somebody earlier posted about bunclody this morning, bunclody is always slow anytime of the day as it’s a bottleneck.
Better laid out this year and in early and got a good view around, the downside was the muppets walking around on the phone on the walk ways.

blue5000

I was on the brown (Limerick) route cross country from Abbeyleix, have to commend the Guards, no major holdups either way, left at 5.30 this evening. Livestock section seemed smaller this year. Not much business being done on machinery stands, fairly easy to get talking to lads. Weather is a big help and probably increased the crowd this year.

3 the square

What date is next year's ploughing??

_Brian

We arrived early, were in purple carpark for 8am, not a bit of traffic on way in.
Left at 3:45 and free all the way out to N9. Very handy.

First year I didn’t go over to see any ploughing but wanted to get away but earlier.

Thought there was less stands than other years, much less duplication, we were looking at pre fab steel sheds and only saw one supplier. Similarly for robotic garden mowers, only Huskavarna had then there. I think there was less tat than other years.

Nice layout, great selection of food which was as ever overpriced.

Clipex fencing was the thing of the day for me, comparable price to crecote posts but surely infinitely longer life. Will need some research but I can see us buying them as replacements rather than anything else.

Good day all round, landed back to the house as last bales of silage were being wrapped so an evening in the tractor seat when I was after driving home and I’m well crippled and ready for bed now.

Mulumpy

Best ploughing was at in long time. No problem getting in or out (brown route) Layout was much better organised and having the sun shining was a bonus. Didn't seem as many school students there as other years either.

duffysfarm

First time at the ploughing today since I was a young lad and have to say I was disappointed. First off got a bus to it and they made us park 15 mins walk away from the entrance while they let cars park right outside the entrance. Cant see the logic in this. Fair enough there was a tractor and trailor moving people but it couldn't deal with the volumes so walked it.
Thought the entrance itself was a little dangerous as well - bottle neck at bottom of hill and stewards shouting at people to stand back and letting 20 through at a time. Cant see why they couldn't have done some kind of an entrance like there was to the o Neil's sports tent - much better crowd control.
Also overall I thought there was just too many people at it today and I thought it was too uncomfortable to walk around and look at anything. Spent the whole day there today and don't know what I saw. Wont be going back in a hurry.

Genghis Cant

Coming from the Midlands it looks like I could take either the purple Dublin/North route or the West/Galway green route.
Any reasons to favour one over the other?

prunudo

After the flooding in Tullamore 2 years back I said I'd never go again unless the weather was favourable and what a difference this year was!
Everything works so much better in this country when the sun shines. Came in from the Bunclody side this morning and had a long enough delay but probably no worse than getting into Ratheniska or Tullamore over the last few years.
Overall found the site was laid out well and although busy, the pathways never felt over crowded except at a few crossing points.
I got a discount for my father as an oap so not sure why the previous poster was refused. Car park was 10 min walk from gate but sure what about it, you're walking around all day anyway so whats another few mins. No problem leaving at 4pm at the end of the day and the traffic was moving freely back to Bunclody.
As a whole I found it a better location than Tullamore which I never warmed too. If the weather is good next year I'd definitely head back.

Mac Taylor

Went this year, no problem getting the oap discount for the father. Personally much prefer the one day Tullamore show, too big to see in one day, food seriously overpriced, 2 burgers chips and drinks - €24. The actual ploughing is really secondary, it was a good walk away from the main area. Very little stock there but or maybe I missed them. Probably what killed me altogether was the 6 hour round trip. Maybe I’m just becoming a grumpy old man:D. Traffic plan was good...no issue in or out.

Wildsurfer

Ah lads seriously some of the comments here are nonsense. You're going to an event with 100k+ people and you expect to sail up and park beside the front gate and stroll in unhindered! Which btw is possible, we were directed into exhibitors carpark but were there a little after 7. Have ye ever been to Croke park on All Ireland day, or hear about the traffic chaos at All Together Now this year. The number of Gardai on traffic management was incredible. I was expecting it to feel much more crowded yesterday but the double track on the site made it grand to get around. The only complaint I had is that it was too hot at times. I think they need to sort that out for next year....

duffysfarm

yes but in croke park you have a limited number of people who can attend be it 50 or 60 thousand. with the ploughing there is no crowd control whatsoever. there was 10,000 more people who attended the second day over the first. no way you would stuff an extra 10,000 into croke park when it was already full so i dont think its fair to compare the two

in terms of sailing up to the front gate i would have though that they would let a bus would 70 to 80 people sail up to the front gate rather than a car with somewhere between 1 and 5 people sail up to the front gate.

i heard one person compare the ploughing yesterday to the grocery shops round the time of the beast from the east!

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Ah lads seriously some of the comments here are nonsense. You're going to an event with 100k+ people and you expect to sail up and park beside the front gate and stroll in unhindered! Which btw is possible, we were directed into exhibitors carpark but were there a little after 7. Have ye ever been to Croke park on All Ireland day, or hear about the traffic chaos at All Together Now this year. The number of Gardai on traffic management was incredible. I was expecting it to feel much more crowded yesterday but the double track on the site made it grand to get around. The only complaint I had is that it was too hot at times. I think they need to sort that out for next year....

Wildsurfer

Croke Park holds 83,000 people! And thats an enclosed space. But crowd control at the ploughing? In the event of a fire you're nearest exit is anywhere you wish! Yeah maybe a drop off & collection area for buses with older people but the rest of us can walk the few mins!

dzer2

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Ah lads seriously some of the comments here are nonsense. You're going to an event with 100k+ people and you expect to sail up and park beside the front gate and stroll in unhindered! Which btw is possible, we were directed into exhibitors carpark but were there a little after 7. Have ye ever been to Croke park on All Ireland day, or hear about the traffic chaos at All Together Now this year. The number of Gardai on traffic management was incredible. I was expecting it to feel much more crowded yesterday but the double track on the site made it grand to get around. The only complaint I had is that it was too hot at times. I think they need to sort that out for next year....

Don't have to wait they have it sorted this yr
Feck can't add a picture

patsy_mccabe

I went in the end. Mainly because the weather was so good and was told yesterday that someone had left late and drove straight in. So I left east Clare after 9 and arrived in just before 12 having stopped for diesel. You got to hand it to the people that organise it. Real top class. There were 3 or 4 Garda at some junctions keeping it all moving. Weather was great and plenty of dust on the roads, if you wanted to complain about something. :rolleyes:

It does seem to be less and less about farming each year. You really notice the crowd was bigger in the non-farming area.

G-Man

Home parched... heaps of places selling rainwater tanks, high pressure hoses, paddock pumps, water bowzers but not a drop to be drank.. All i want is to top up my bottle of water. Even the guy giving out the whiskey samples had none... And by god you would have wanted it for that stuff..

Its always great to see the entrpreneurs from all over ireland making a go of their local raw materials, knowledge or skills.. Good luck to them all. I love going up and using the free sample to question the about their product, their plans for the future and what challenges they are meeting. Its an MBA in a day.. The amount of people who just grab the sample and walk away......fine, but I am all about the the big chat and learning a bit about your story.

I was at Bord Bia stand and they had the static display of the 33mth bullock bs the 26mth on the hook and how it looked in the packet.. I think they could have done more to explain the divergence in what we think how our meat goes via butcher to actually know its customer perception and presentation in the plastic packet is what is important, supposedley now. To me the plastic packets did not look a lot different, but I could understand to a big supermarket buyer who knows these packets go under big bright lights, it does count..

I think in the current crisis, they could have done more to a) explain the grading system and perhaps some explanation to lay people about the crisis in beef.. Perhaps it should not have been in in Bord Bia stand, but mabe some else could have put that on..

LASTLY do no farmers wear shorts, or was it me that needed to be arrested by the fashion police... It was a roasting hot day, they must have been melting in the gear.

I let the train take the strain.. conductor at kildare at 1045 am kicked off a heap of young lads who were well polluted with drink, you are only ruining it for yourselves lads someone should roar at them.. .. Irishrail and Bus Eireann really coould have done a combind train and shuttle ticket deal though.... but all smooth and easy to do.

SuperTortoise

Not this year, Just one big trade show now, i went 2 years ago was grand for the few hours i spent there but there is an awful lot of tat that really has no business being there at all, it's the sort of thing i'll go to every one in a while if i've not much on, the machinery side of things i find interesting alright and some of the vintage machinery is cool.

Cattlepen

I wasn’t going but relented this morning and went on go two hours. Usual shiny overpriced machinery. Cattle and sheep handling systems have really come on. Some serious kit. Would make more sense for farmers to invest in that kind of gear than new slurry tanks and tractors. Their job would be easier and a lot safer

_Brian

Cattlepen wrote: »

I wasn’t going but relented this morning and went on go two hours. Usual shiny overpriced machinery. Cattle and sheep handling systems have really come on. Some serious kit. Would make more sense for farmers to invest in that kind of gear than new slurry tanks and tractors. Their job would be easier and a lot safer

As I get less able myself a headscoop for the crush looks like an essential piece of kit.

Genghis Cant

I went too. What struck me about the traffic management was how far from the site the Gardai were controlling traffic. It was after Monasterevin around Kildangen that I met the first controlled junction. From there it was guards at every junction keeping traffic flying along. No stoppages till I parked up at the ploughing. Exact same coming out. I'd no idea where I was going but all's I to do was follow the directions of AGS. All in all excellent.
I was just pondering to myself today. I think the first ploughing I went to was in 85. The years don't be long flying by!

Lime Tree Farm

_Brian wrote: »

As I get less able myself a headscoop for the crush looks like an essential piece of kit.

Wouldn't be without it. They get wise to it, and put the head to the floor. The ratchet on ours has worn down, requiring one person to hold it in position.

I have seen one, attached at each side of the opening uprights of the crush, which would overcome this problem. I am not describing it too well. I'll see if I can get an image online.

Say my name

I went back today too.
I needed yesterday to get my head around the prices of machinery!!

I had my heart set on one machine yesterday after viewing it the first day. So brought the cheque book today. But then another machine caught my eye before I got to the one I was thinking of.
So I enquired the price, got a bit of a show discount and now I have an Abbey side slinger dungspreader.
I'll pick it up from the local dealers yard in a few days.

BorneTobyWilde

I thought the ploughing match was dating site for farmers.

road_high

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I went in the end. Mainly because the weather was so good and was told yesterday that someone had left late and drove straight in. So I left east Clare after 9 and arrived in just before 12 having stopped for diesel. You got to hand it to the people that organise it. Real top class. There were 3 or 4 Garda at some junctions keeping it all moving. Weather was great and plenty of dust on the roads, if you wanted to complain about something. :rolleyes:

It does seem to be less and less about farming each year. You really notice the crowd was bigger in the non-farming area.

We found that today- you can stroll around the farming and agri supplies area fairly easily- different story up around the leisure and food areas like O’Neill’s etc which are mobbed. I hate the school groups in it but it’s all about cash for the NPA and food sellers tbh

road_high

Yea I can’t understand how people can wear shirts and jeans/pants to that today with the very warm weather. Must be torture

Snowfire

Same venue again next year.? Any announcement .?

Lime Tree Farm

road_high wrote: »

Yea I can’t understand how people can wear shirts and jeans/pants to that today with the very warm weather. Must be torture

Love it, maybe Michael D in shorts, or Leo in the furrow following the wheeled plough?

hopeso

I went today too...Very impressed with the traffic plan. Moved all the way to the site with no stop starting.....l didn’t arrive until 10am, and still got parked right next to the exhibition. Came away happy enough at the end of it. I suppose I could complain about the sunburn........

road_high

Traffic was pretty slow though Nurney and into Leighlin but was fine after that on the old N9/10 back into Kilkenny. Stayed off the M9 as I heard it was pretty backed up.
I know a lot of the cork and Munster traffic would have come off at Urlingford M8 but would it not make more sense to send them down the M9 and go via Waterford

road_high

How was the whole limerick M7 route? Knowing these fairly quiet and narrow country roads that they were using I can’t imagine they trouble free? Seemed to be a lot of turns and crossing other roads. Abbeyleix wouldn’t exactly be a doddle especially turning twice in it

Floody Boreland

Think yourselves lucky you didn't need to do half the M50.

road_high

Floody Boreland wrote: »

Think yourselves lucky you didn't need to do half the M50.

I often do and it’s a pain in the arse usually.

road_high

Was it just me but were a LOT of stands missing this year? Car brands in particular like Nissan, Opel, Renault and Dacia. Many of the tractor brands. Yara or other fertilizer companies. All notable in their absence.
Were VW there? Also Volvo not there. All these were there before- clearly not worth the business effort?

road_high

Mr Sutton of the NPA very coy about next years. Seems it’s become the 3rd secret of Fatima, drawn out to maximize attention and interest.
Doesn’t sound like Ballitrane is a done deal yet.

Stationmaster

What are the costs etc involved does anyone know in renting the land off the landowners? How many landowners were needed this year? Is their land pretty much taken over for the full year?

Just curious.

road_high

Stationmaster wrote: »

What are the costs etc involved does anyone know in renting the land off the landowners? How many landowners were needed this year? Is their land pretty much taken over for the full year?

Just curious.

I think about €100 per acre for car parking and just for the duration of the Ploughing and time around it. May also be arrangements for utilities depending on whether it’s staying there for next year.
For tillage farmers on stubbles it’s money for jam as the harvest is over and fields cleared between sowing winter crops or maybe even idle til next spring for spring crops

alps

_Brian wrote: »

We arrived early, were in purple carpark for 8am, not a bit of traffic on way in.
Left at 3:45 and free all the way out to N9. Very handy.

First year I didn’t go over to see any ploughing but wanted to get away but earlier.

Thought there was less stands than other years, much less duplication, we were looking at pre fab steel sheds and only saw one supplier. Similarly for robotic garden mowers, only Huskavarna had then there. I think there was less tat than other years.

Nice layout, great selection of food which was as ever overpriced.

Clipex fencing was the thing of the day for me, comparable price to crecote posts but surely infinitely longer life. Will need some research but I can see us buying them as replacements rather than anything else.

Good day all round, landed back to the house as last bales of silage were being wrapped so an evening in the tractor seat when I was after driving home and I’m well crippled and ready for bed now.

Did you get prices for the clipex Brian...ran 2 wires with 30 of them here this morning and must say I'm converted. Just a tad expensive from conventional outlets at around 7.50 Inc vat, but see them on a UK website for £4 (expecting that plus vat).

Simplicity and speed is brilliant and they have some hold in the ground..reckon they are cheaper installed by the time you have followed around with a post driver with the timber posts..

hopeso

alps wrote: »

Did you get prices for the clipex Brian...ran 2 wires with 30 of them here this morning and must say I'm converted. Just a tad expensive from conventional outlets at around 7.50 Inc vat, but see them on a UK website for £4 (expecting that plus vat).

Simplicity and speed is brilliant and they have some hold in the ground..reckon they are cheaper installed by the time you have followed around with a post driver with the timber posts..

How did you drive them? To me, the top clip looks like it could be damaged easily while banging them in....

alps

hopeso wrote: »

How did you drive them? To me, the top clip looks like it could be damaged easily while banging them in....

A metal sleeve maybe 3 inches diameter with 2 handles down over the post (cost 28€). One the sleeve touches the ground you're perfect height.

Insulator then clips to the wire and slips into the hook...

No hammers, no crow bars, no sledge, no tractor and pile driver...and one person and the quad...even left the quad running at each stop...