Ploughing Championship’s Trade Exhibition and World Contest cancelled over Covid-19 concerns

A pity.

The 2021 Ploughing Trade Exhibition and World Contest, due to take place in Ratheniska in Laois in September, has been cancelled due to the uncertainty over Covid-19 restrictions. It's the second year in a row that the mammoth event has been cancelled due to Covid-19. The National Ploughing Association has said the national competitions will still proceed as planned. The decision was made due to what organisers said was a lack of clarity around what events will be permitted to proceed in September and with works due to begin on the location, a decision was taken to cancel the Trade Exhibition and World Contest. “It’s a massive disappointment to the Association to have to cancel the trade exhibition two years in a row in particular when you consider the estimated annual economic impact of €50m that will be lost to the Irish Economy," NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said. "We are very conscious of the loss of revenue for our exhibitors and the disappointment of patrons." Up to 1,700 exhibitors usually attend the three-day event, which attracted 297,000 people when it was last run in 2019. The event will return to Ratheniska in September 2022.