REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE AT THE OPENING OF THE NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS FERNS CO. WEXFORD
I am pleased to be here today to officiate at the opening of the National Ploughing Championships which, judging by the large attendance, will be yet another huge success for the National Ploughing Association. I would like to thank Anna May McHugh for her invitation to me to be a part of this year’s event. The list of competitors for this year’s Championships looks like the Who’s Who of ploughing – with an Irish Team comprising John Tracey, who was the Irish Team Manager in Germany earlier this month – Martin Kehoe, former World Contest Winner and 6th in the World Contest in Germany – both being joined by Willie Ryan and Charles Bateman. From Derry we David Wright, who came 2nd in the World Contest in Germany – and Thomas Cochrane who won the World Contest in Australia in 1997. We also have contestants from England, Scotland, Wales, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland - and the only female competitor Nicola Smith, who has travelled from New Zealand. I hope that all of you bring home pleasant memories of your visit to Ferns here in County Wexford and, with luck, maybe even a trophy or two.
Great credit is due to the National Ploughing Association for the many months of planning and hard work which they have put into the organisation of the National Ploughing championships this year – and looking around me, I can see that their tireless efforts have been well rewarded.
I would like to pay particular tribute to Anna May McHugh who has been the Managing Director of the National Ploughing Association since 1973. To the farming sector as a whole and in particular to those involved in tillage, Anna May has become a household name. Ploughing has been a major part of Anna May's life since she started out as secretary to the National Ploughing Association thirty nine years ago. Under her leadership, the National Ploughing Association has turned the National Championships into a major event in Irish agriculture. While ploughing remains the main focal point, the National Championships now cover not only all sectors of agriculture but also the social and cultural aspects of rural life. It is this diversity that accounts for the attraction of the National Ploughing Championships.
For Irish people the significance of the land is particularly strong – with a great traditional attachment to the land and to farming. Agriculture has played a dominant role in our economic and cultural development – especially in the decades immediately after independence when the bulk of the population were living and working on the land. While the dominance of agriculture is not what it once was, it is still the largest industry in Ireland and accounts for a massive portion of our exports. The agri-business sector which provides a range of inputs and services, and which also provides an outlet for agricultural commodities, makes an important contribution to the maintenance of rural communities in terms of employment and economic activity generally.
It is at once indicative of the changes in agricultural development and the success of the National Ploughing Association in keeping abreast of these developments, that the number of exhibits in the Agricultural Machinery sector continues to grow. But the issues facing farming today are not only about efficiency. The new emphasis on the environment, the need for diversification and rural development, the greater international influences on farming, the need to adapt production to consumer needs, and the increased demand for food from developing countries - all of these together represent perhaps greater challenges to farmers the world over, than any which have gone before.
Events such as the Ploughing Championships provide an ideal opportunity for those who strive for excellence, and who take pride in developing their farming skills to show their commitment tot their industry – and to their vocation. They also provide an awareness of the wider issues affecting agriculture and rural communities - serving as a meeting place where people of all backgrounds and nationalities can join together in a festive atmosphere.
In opening this year’s National Ploughing Championships – I want to pay tribute to all of those who have contributed to making this a truly national event - celebrated by both rural and urban dwellers who share in the ideal of a country that cares for the environment and recognises the contribution that agriculture and agri-business make to Ireland and to Europe. I particularly want to commend your hosts for this year’s event – Donal and Yvonne Murphy – and Aidan and Mary Murphy. I know that it would not have been possible without their cooperation and commitment and, of course, the help and assistance of Wexford County Council and their Chairman, Leo Carthy – and Supt. Pat Delaney from Enniscorthy, who has had the task of coping with the enormous level of traffic involved. Finally I would like to give special recognition to the many sponsors for their generous support in helping the National Ploughing Association to stage the event each year.
ENDS