There are still hopes some ploughing could take place behind closed gates.
The 2020 National Ploughing Championships, due to take place in Ballintrane, Fenagh in Carlow from 15-17 September, have been cancelled.
Anna Marie McHugh, Assistant Managing Director of the National Ploughing Assocation (NPA), confirmed the decision to cancel this year’s event in conversation with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio One on Friday morning.
“In the interest of public health and safety it just wasn’t an option,” McHugh said.
In a statement issued to the Farmers Journal, meanwhile, McHugh said: “The executive reached this very difficult decision to cancel the trade exhibition as public health and safety is our foremost priority given the current global pandemic.
“With visitor attendance last year of 297,000 and up to 1,700 exhibitors, we had too many concerns about how we could implement social distancing and the potential risk of bringing together people from all over the country.”
“Credit notes will be issued to exhibitors over the next couple of weeks,” the statement added.
“If you have made a payment to the NPA please forward via email your account details, on receipt of same a full refund will be made. Should you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact NPA at [email protected] or [email protected].”
While the event itself is cancelled, the NPA still plans to run the actual ploughing behind closed gates.
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